RUSSELL  SAGE 
FOUNDATION 


•WIDER  USE   OF  THE 
SCHOOL  PLANT- 

BY 

CLARENCE  ARTHUR  PERRY 


INTRODUCTION 

BY 

LUTHER  HALSEY  GUL1CK,  M.D. 


NEW    YORK 

CHARITIES     PUBLICATION 
COMMITTEE  .     MCMX I 


a 


* 


Copyright,  1910,  by 
THE  RUSSELL  SAGE  FOUNDATION 


Printed  December,  1910 
Reprinted  July,  1911 


PRESS    OF   WM.    F.    FELL   CO. 
PHILADELPHIA 


PREFACE 

THE  following  pages  contain  the  results  of  an 
inquiry  into  the  utilization  of  school  prop- 
erty after  day-class  hours  which  has  been 
carried  on  during  the  past  year  and  a  half  by  the 
Department  of  Child  Hygiene  of  the  Russell  Sage 
Foundation. 

The  information  has  been  gathered  from  the 
reports  of  school  authorities  and  voluntary  or- 
ganizations as  well  as  by  means  of  personal  inves- 
tigation. In  the  collection  of  material  city  super- 
intendents and  boards  of  education  also,  to  a 
number  that  forbids  individual  mention  here, 
have  rendered  generous  assistance.  They  have 
written  long  letters,  filled  in  tiresome  question- 
naires, and  given  or  loaned  valuable  photographs. 
Without  their  co-operation  the  investigation 
would  have  been  greatly  handicapped. 

Pains  have  been  taken  to  secure  accurate  data; 
but  the  extension  of  the  various  after-school 
activities  is  progressing  so  rapidly  that  the  con- 
ditions in  many  cities  will  in  a  short  time  be 
misrepresented  by  this  account.  Since,  however, 
events  and  situations  have  been  selected,  not  for 
the  sake  of  local  history,  but  because  they  reveal 
some  aspect  or  stage  in  the  development  of  the 
undertaking,  it  is  hoped  that  this  limitation  will 
not  affect  the  usefulness  of  the  book. 

New  York.  October  20,  1910 

V 


242903 


INTRODUCTION 

ONLY  upon  the  basis  of  personal  under- 
standing and  mutual  confidence  is  effi- 
cient and  coherent  social  action  possible. 
This  is  the  foundation  of  democracy.  Communi- 
ties must  have,  therefore,  material  and  social 
machinery  by  which  various  classes  shall  come  to 
know  each  other;  some  instrument  that  shall 
cross-section  racial,  financial  and  social  strata; 
something  that  shall  go  beneath  these  and  touch 
fundamental  human  interests.  Of  these  the  cen- 
tral one  is  the  love  of  children  and  the  machinery 
most  natural,  as  well  as  most  available,  is  the 
public  school  system. 

This  volume  endeavors  to  show  how  the  educa- 
tional equipment  of  American  cities  is  already 
being  used  to  bring  about  this  mutual  under- 
standing. Mr.  Perry  has  deliberately  selected  the 
most  successful  aspects  of  the  work  in  all  parts  of 
the  country.  He  has  not  portrayed  the  failures— 
and  there  have  been  many;  he  has  not  spent  time 
in  magnifying  the  difficulties — although  they  are 
real.  All  the  illustrations  represent  actual  un- 
dertakings, and  being  the  best  in  each  field,  they 
may  give  the  general  reader  the  impression  that 
the  battle  has  already  been  won,  that  all  obstacles 
to  the  wider  use  have  been  removed.  The  truth, 

vii 


INTRODUCTION 

however,  is  quite  otherwise.  While  based  en- 
tirely upon  facts  the  account  does  not  purport  to 
show  the  conditions  existing  in  the  average  com- 
munity. 

My  own  study  of  the  situation  and  of  the  mate- 
rial contained  in  this  book  has  led  me  to  three 
conclusions: 

(1)  The  school  is  the  natural  focal  point  of  the 
community's  social  life  since  it  centers  the  uni- 
versal interest  in  children  and  cuts  through  social, 
religious  and  even  racial  lines. 

(2)  As  the  school  plant  already  belongs  to  the 
people  it  is  proper  to  employ  it  for  their  social 
activities.     Making  it  useful  for  twelve  instead  of 
five  hours  a  day  would  involve  few  administra- 
tive changes  and  a  comparatively  slight  expen- 
diture of  money.     Indeed,  the  improvement  of 
education  resulting  directly  from  the  wider  use 
legitimizes  such  action  by  school  boards.     We  can 
no  longer  restrict  the  word  "education"  to  the 
inculcation  of  the  few  fundamental    operations 
so  often  characterized  as  the  "three  R's."     The 
newer  ideal  does  not  limit  its  application  to  the 
schooling  of  children  but  extends  it  to  the  intel- 
lectual progress  of  all  who  would  follow  the  paths 
of  learning. 

(3)  In   every   case   this   movement   for   using 
school  property  and  machinery  to  meet  the  larger 
community  needs  requires  additions  to  the  staff. 
The  principals  and  teachers  of  the  day  school, 
even  though  willing  to  sacrifice  time  and  energy 

viii 


INTRODUCTION 

in  the  wider  work,  should  not  be  permitted  to 
do  so,  their  best  service  to  the  community  being 
possible  only  when  they  are  not  overburdened. 
In  presenting  this  subject  to  audiences  of  school 
people  I  have  been  puzzled  time  and  again  at  their 
almost  complete  lack  of  interest,  only  to  discover, 
upon  inquiry,  that  they  saw  in  it  large  additions 
of  labor  and  responsibility  which  they  could  not 
hope  to  carry  and  do  their  daily  work  well. 

In  manner  of  treatment  Mr.  Perry  has  confined 
himself  mainly  to  the  description  of  what  is 
actually  being  done,  showing  how  it  was  done, 
what  it  cost,  who  did  it,  and  kindred  matters. 
He  has  not  dwelt  upon  the  relative  values  of  the 
different  after-school  activities  nor  indulged  in 
theoretical  abstractions,  believing  that  the  con- 
crete cases,  if  presented  with  sufficient  realism, 
would  make  the  best  possible  argument  for  the 
wider  use  of  the  school  plant. 

LUTHER  HALSEY  GULICK 

New  York,  October  17,  1910 


IX 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


PAGE 


INTRODUCTION vii 

BY  Luther  Halsey  Gulick,  M.  D. 

List  of  Illustrations xiii 

-  I.  The  Wider  Use 3 

II.  Evening  Schools       .       .       .       .       .       .      19 

III.  Evening  Schools  Abroad         .       .       .       -55 

IV.  The  Promotion  of  Attendance  at  Evening 

Schools 81 

V.  Vacation  Schools 117 

VI.  School  Playgrounds  ...  .    149 

VII.  Public  Lectures  and  Entertainments    .        .187 

VIII.  Evening  Recreation  Centers  ....  217 

IX.  Social  Centers    * 249 

-  X.  Organized  Athletics,  Games  and  Folk  Danc- 

ing   291 

-  XL  Meetings  in  School  Houses      .       .       .       -335 
'XII.  Social  Betterment  through  Wider  Use         .  359 

Chart  Showing  Social  Betterment  through 
Wider  Use 381 

APPENDICES 

A.  Local  Lecture  Sources 385 

B.  Regulations  Covering  the   Use  of   Rochester 

School  Buildings 392 

INDEX 397 


XI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

FACING 
PACE 

Discussing  the  Duties  of  an  Alderman  in  a  Ro- 
chester School  House      .       .        Frontispiece 

A  Neglected  Opportunity 5 

An  Opportunity  Embraced 1 1 

Producing  Illustrators  in  a  New  York  Evening 

School 23 

Trimming  Their  Own  Hats  in  an  Evening  School  30 

The  "Baby  Class"  in  English       ....  30 

Dressmaking  in  a  Brockton  Class  Room     .       .  40 
The  Cleveland  Technical  High  School  Runs  Eve- 
nings   ...               .               ...  40 

A  Buffalo  School  House  Helping  Working  Boys  to 

Become  More  Efficient 47 

Learning  to  Draw  a  Larger  Salary  in  a  Pittsburgh 

Evening  High  School 83 

Pittsburgh  Young  People  Making  a  Profitable  Use 

of  Public  Property 93 

French  Canadians  of  Lowell,  Massachusetts  .  102 
Class  of  Greek  Boys  in  Lowell  .  .  .  .  102 
A  Summer  Occupation  in  New  York  .  .  .  120 
They  Came  Because  They  Wanted  To.  .  .  120 
Learning  Through  Play  in  New  York  .  .  .  129 
First  Aid  Methods.  Pittsburgh  Summer  Schools  140 
Clay  Modeling.  Pittsburgh  Summer  Schools  .  140 
Practicing  Housekeeping:  Laundry  Work.  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  Play  School  ....  152 
A  Lesson  in  Sweeping.  Newark,  N.  J.,  Play 

School 152 

The  Nursery.    School  Yard  Nursery  in  Cleveland  1 58 
"In  Tiny  Cool  Cots."     School  Yard  Nursery  in 

Cleveland 158 

Trained  in  Newark  Play  Schools  .       .       .       .  164 

xiii 


LIST  OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 

i 

PAGE 


Newark  Boys  Exhibiting  for  the  Family     .       .       164 
Playground  Drill  in  New  York      .       .       .       .       167 
What  the  School  Board  of  Detroit  Now  Provides     174 
Professional  Advice  on  Care  of  Teeth  Afforded 
Cleveland  Taxpayers  in  a  Free  School  House 

Lecture 191 

Community  Keeping  Up  with  Science,  New  York  200 
Instruction  Everybody  Needs  ....  200 
Shakespeare  for  the  People  in  Brooklyn  .  .  204 
Yiddish  Audience  in  a  New  York  School  .  .  204 
Competing  Against  Street  Loafing  in  a  New  York 

Center 220 

A  Quiet  Corner  in  a  Girls'  Center  .  .  .  220 
Training  for  Civic  Life  in  an  Evening  Center  .  224 
Evening  Study  in  "Quiet  Surroundings"  .  .  224 

Commercialized  Dancing 230 

Dancing  in  a  School  Building        ....       230 
"Number  Nine."     One  of  Rochester's  Community- 
Used  Schools 251 

How  Rochester  Women  Keep  Attractive  .  .  266 
School  Library  in  Good  Use  Saturday  Night  .  266 
A  Close  Finish  in  School  Sports  ....  304 

Touching  Off  in  the  Relay 304 

"Reaping  the  Flax"— I.  In  a  New  York  School 

Yard 316 

"Reaping  the  Flax" — II 316 

The  "  Carrousel "  Where  There's  Room  .  .  324 
The  "Tarantella" — in  No  Danger  from  Traffic  .  324 
Improving  Their  Skill  After  Hours.  New  York 

Evening  Schools 366 

Learning  to  Make  Their  Own   Furniture.     New 

York  Evening  Schools 366 

New    York   School   Girls    Breaking   Down    Race 

Prejudice 373 

Constructive  Play  in  the  School  Yard.     Buffalo 

Vacation  Schools 378 

Prompting  Domestic  Happiness.     Buffalo  Vaca- 
tion Schools 378 


xiv 


I 

THE  WIDER  USE 


CHAPTER  I 
THE    WIDER    USE 

THE  children  who  went  to  school  back  in  the 
eighties  skipped  out  of  the  school  house 
door  at  half  past  three  and  scampered 
down  the  street  shouting  with  glee.  Instruction 
was  finished  for  the  day  and  the  building  turned 
over  to  the  janitor  for  sweeping.  After  he  fin- 
ished his  work  he  locked  the  doors,  and  the  school 
house  was  not  used  by  anybody  during  the  rest  of 
the  twenty-four  hours.  On  Friday  afternoon  the 
premises  were  closed  until  the  following  Monday 
morning.  On  Saturday  and  Sunday  the  grounds 
were  shunned  as  forbidden  territory  and  during 
the  long  summer  months  no  one  entered  them, 
except  possibly  workmen  to  make  repairs. 

During  one  hundred  and  eighty  days  out  of  the 
year  the  whole  school  property  was  used  a  scant 
seven  hours  daily — less  than  one-half  of  the  total 
usable  period.  The  rest  of  the  time  it  was  abso- 
lutely idle.  It  was  not  only  of  no  service;  it  was 
deteriorating. 

Within  a  couple  of  decades  all  this  has  changed. 
Public  school  buildings  are  now  open  in  some 
places  every  week-day  in  the  year.  They  are  open 
not  only  days  but  evenings.  Classes  occupy 

3 


'WIDHR  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

them  during  July  and  August  as  well  as  during 
the  winter  months.  Children  go  to  them  Satur- 
days as  well  as  Mondays,  and  in  some  places  the 
school  rooms  are  not  left  unvisited  even  on  Sun- 
days. In  a  word,  the  school  equipment  is  not 
nowadays  employed  merely  and  solely  for  the 
ordinary  day-school  work.  It  is  being  devoted  to 
a  wider  use.  The  school  house  has  become  a 
place  where  children  may  both  play  and  study; 
where  they  may  do  things  with  their  hands  as 
well  as  pore  over  books;  where  youths  can  con- 
tinue an  interrupted  education  and  shop  girls 
enjoy  exhilarating  physical  exercises  after  the 
day's  grind;  where  neighbors  may  gossip  and 
mothers  come  together  to  learn  how  they  can 
supplement  the  teacher's  work  in  their  own 
homes. 

The  activities  now  carried  on  in  the  school 
houses  and  yards  during  the  margin  of  the  time 
left  by  the  regular  day-school  work,  constitute 
the  wider  use  of  the  school  plant. 

EVENING  SCHOOLS 

The  earliest  work  of  this  kind  to  be  undertaken 
was  that  of  the  evening  schools.  They  have  now 
become  a  very  important  branch  of  public  in- 
struction and  are  generally  held  during  the  winter 
months.  The  courses  vary  with  the  character  of 
the  population,  but  in  most  American  cities  the 
same  methods  obtain  in  their  instruction,  organiza- 
tion and  administration. 

4 


THE    WIDER    USE 

The  evening  schools  of  New  York  City  include 
practically  all  of  the  types  found  in  this  country. 
They  are  divided  into  elementary,  high  and  trade 
schools.  The  elementary  classes  are  held  four 
nights  a  week  beginning  early  in  October,  and 
continue  for  ninety  evenings.  Tuition  is  entirely 
free,  no  charge  being  made  even  for  the  materials 
used.  All  applicants  must  be  above  fourteen 
years  of  age.  The  subjects  taught  are  reading, 
arithmetic,  composition,  penmanship,  drawing, 
geography,  hygiene,  physical  training,  American 
history,  civics,  bookkeeping,  sewing,  millinery, 
dressmaking  and  cooking.  Another  part  of  the 
evening  elementary  work  is  that  of  teaching 
English  to  foreigners.  These  classes  are  made  up 
of  Italians,  Russians,  Hebrews,  Poles,  and  repre- 
sentatives from  thirty-two  other  immigrant  races. 
Wherever  possible  each  class  is  composed  en- 
tirely of  members  of  the  same  tongue,  but  in  the 
case  of  the  sparsely  represented  races  they  are 
grouped  together  in  mixed  classes. 

The  New  York  evening  high  schools  begin  the 
latter  part  of  September  and  run  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty  nights,  requirements  for  admission 
being  the  same  as  for  the  day  high  schools.  The 
applicant  must  either  be  a  graduate  of  an  ele- 
mentary school  or  have  an  equivalent  education. 
Those  offering  the  latter  are  required  to  demon- 
strate it  in  a  satisfactory  test.  No  fees  are  charged 
in  any  of  these  higher  courses.  The  subjects 
taught  include  Latin,  the  modern  languages,  the 

5 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

natural  sciences,  English  composition  and  litera- 
ture, stenography  and  typewriting,  history  and 
political  science,  free-hand  drawing,  dressmaking, 
millinery  and  domestic  science. 

To  the  evening  trade  schools  only  those  are 
admitted  who  are  regularly  occupied  during  the 
day.  A  pupil  under  twenty-one  must  furnish  rec- 
ommendations from  responsible  persons  vouching 
for  his  sincerity  of  intention  to  continue  in  the 
class  throughout  the  school  year.  The  subjects 
taught  are  carpentry  and  joinery,  cabinet  making, 
pattern  making,  blacksmithing,  plumbing,  machine- 
shop  work,  printing  and  typesetting,  mathematics, 
free-hand,  architectural  and  mechanical  drawing, 
machine  design,  applied  electricity,  steam  engi- 
neering, electric  wiring  and  installation,  industrial 
chemistry,  applied  physics,  advanced  dressmaking, 
millinery  and  domestic  science. 

VACATION  SCHOOLS 

Another  form  of  activity  which,  like  that  of  the 
evening  school,  bears  a  similarity  to  the  regular 
day-school  work,  is  carried  on  during  the  summer 
months  and  is  known  as  the  vacation  or  summer 
school.  New  York  again  affords  us  an  excel- 
lent example.  Attendance  is  entirely  voluntary. 
Once  the  children  have  entered  a  class  they  are 
encouraged  to  continue  in  it  throughout  the  sum- 
mer term.  The  instruction  is  nearly  all  of  the 
nature  of  hand  work,  the  only  exception  being 
a  class  made  up  of  children  who  either  have 

6 


THE    WIDER    USE 

failed  in  their  studies  or  wish  to  get  ahead  of  their 
grades.  By  attending  the  summer  course  many 
deficient  children  are  enabled  to  secure  promo- 
tion at  the  opening  of  school  in  September. 

The  visitor  entering  one  of  the  New  York 
vacation  schools  will  be  struck  with  the  at- 
mosphere of  happy  relaxation  which  pervades  the 
class  rooms.  Systematic,  diligent  work  is  carried 
on,  but  the  children  enjoy  it  so  thoroughly  that 
very  little  discipline  is  required.  The  children 
receive  instruction  in  chair  making,  basketry, 
bench  work  and  fret  sawing,  elementary  wood- 
work, Venetian  ironwork,  knitting,  elementary 
sewing,  dressmaking,  millinery  and  embroidering. 
They  are  also  instructed  in  the  domestic  arts  and 
cooking.  The  very  small  children  are  given  kinder- 
garten work. 

As  a  rule,  these  classes  are  held  only  during  the 
morning,  and  as  the  session  is  short  the  child 
generally  spends  the  whole  morning  in  one  class. 
At  the  end  of  the  term  the  pupils  are  allowed  to 
take  home  the  things  they  have  made. 

Vacation  schools  are  very  much  alike  all  over 
the  country,  though  in  some  places  more  emphasis 
is  laid  upon  the  academic  features  than  in  others, 
and  certain  cities  have  added  new  courses,  such 
as  lessons  in  first  aid,  clay  modeling  and  kite 
making. 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUNDS 

Another  "wider  use"  of  the  school  plant  during 
the  summer  is  that  of  the  vacation  playground. 

7 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

These  playgrounds  are  open  in  the  afternoon, 
frequently  in  the  yards  of  the  schools  which  were 
occupied  by  classes  in  the  morning. 

The  work  conducted  in  the  school  yards  of 
Newark,  New  Jersey,  furnishes  a  good  illustration 
of  the  possibilities  of  directed  play.  It  is  gener- 
ously supported  by  a  progressive  board  and  very 
efficiently  administered  by  an  unusually  -large 
force  of  expert  leaders.  The  Newark  yards  are 
of  a  fair  size  and  are  well  equipped  with  play- 
ground apparatus.  The  exercises  open  at  half 
past  one  with  a  brief  ceremony  consisting  of  a  talk 
or  a  story  by  one  of  the  teachers,  a  song  and  a  flag 
salute,  and  then  the  boys  and  girls  are  marched 
to  their  respective  quarters  on  the  grounds. 

Before  using  the  apparatus  the  boys*  and  girls' 
divisions  are  given  what  are  called  "setting-up" 
exercises.  After  these  the  groups  are  divided  into 
squads  and  assigned  to  various  games  and  sports 
or  to  the  use  of  the  apparatus.  Immediately 
the  yard  takes  on  the  appearance  of  an  out-of- 
door  gymnasium.  Here  is  a  group  of  boys  doing 
stunts  on  the  horizontal  bar.  Just  beyond,  a  line  of 
youngsters  wait  their  turns  on  the  climbing  ropes. 
The  boy  who  climbs  clear  to  the  top  can  ring 
the  bell  there  and  everybody  looks  up  at  him. 
It's  like  making  a  bull's  eye  in  the  shooting 
gallery. 

Other  boys  practice  jumping,  pulling  them- 
selves up  the  inclined  ladder,  or  stretching 
their  arms  on  the  flying  rings.  In  another  corner 

8 


THE    WIDER   USE 

of  the  yard  an  exciting  basket  ball  game  is  in 
progress.  Over  there  a  string  of  boys  are  playing 
leap-frog. 

On  the  girls'  side  happy  groups  play  ring-toss, 
bean-bag,  prisoners'  base  and  various  other  games. 
Inside  the  school  house  in  a  class  room  from  which 
the  seats  and  desks  have  been  removed  there  is 
folk  dancing  by  successive  classes  of  girls.  As 
they  throw  themselves  into  the  Shoemaker's 
Dance  and  the  Highland  Fling,  or  whirl  about  in 
the  Tarantella,  the  joy  depicted  on  their  flushed 
faces  leaves  no  doubt  as  to  the  healthful  effects 
of  these  rhythmic  exercises. 

In  connection  with  the  Newark  school  play- 
grounds some  hand  work  is  also  given.  At  cer- 
tain periods  the  boys  are  set  to  whittling,  chair 
caning,  kite  making  or  basket  weaving,  while  the 
girls  take  their  turn  at  crocheting,  sewing,  doll- 
making,  hat  weaving,  and  cardboard  and  fancy 
sewing.  In  the  "kitchen-gardening"  department, 
the  girls  also  learn  how  to  build  fires,  set  the  table, 
sweep,  wash,  and  a  number  of  other  household 
activities.  The  children  fix  up  the  playground 
themselves.  The  boys  clear  it,  dig  jumping  pits 
and  mark  baseball  diamonds,  while  the  girls  are 
called  upon  to  make  bases  for  games,  bean-bags, 
aprons, bloomers, and  thecurtainfor  "curtain  ball." 

PUBLIC  LECTURES  AND  ENTERTAINMENTS 

One  of  the  commonest  uses  now  being  made  of 
our  modern  school  buildings  during  the  winter 

9 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

evenings  is  for  free  lectures  and  entertainments. 
Some  cities  offer  occasional  lectures  with  a  sprink- 
ling of  concerts,  recitals  and  theatricals,  given 
under  the  auspices  of  local  societies  or  clubs. 
In  others  this  sort  of  work  forms  a  definite  part 
of  the  educational  program  and  large  sums  of 
money  are  appropriated  for  its  support. 

The  most  extensive  public  lecture  work  under- 
taken by  any  board  of  education  in  the  United 
States  is  that  carried  on  in  New  York  City. 
These  lectures  are  given  mainly,  but  not  entirely, 
in  the  public  school  buildings.  Their  subjects 
are  taken  from  all  departments  of  human  knowl- 
edge. Geography,  science,  literature,  history, 
sociology  and  biology  are  only  a  few  of  the  fields 
from  which  the  lecturers  bring  messages.  Many 
of  the  topics  are  presented  in  a  related  series  of 
addresses  from  the  same  lecturer. 

A  more  definite  notion  of  the  character  of 
both  the  lectures  and  lecturers  can  be  obtained 
from  the  following  selections  taken  from  the  pro- 
gram of  the  year  1907-08:  "Benjamin  Franklin," 
by  Professor  Harry  G.  Paul,  of  the  University  of 
Illinois;  "The  Great  American  Poets,"  by  Pro- 
fessor Curtis  Hidden  Page,  of  Columbia  Uni- 
versity; "Reminiscences  of  the  Great  War," 
by  General  Horatio  C.  King;  "Labor's  Part  in 
Industry,"  by  Professor  James  Walter  Crook, 
of  Amherst  College;  "How  to  Look  at  Pictures," 
by  Mr.  Alex.  J.  Van  Laer;  and  the  "Story  of  the 
Stars,"  by  Miss  Mary  Proctor. 

10 


THE    WIDER    USE 

While  most  of  the  lectures  are  given  in  English, 
a  number  are  given  in  the  Italian,  Yiddish  and 
German  languages.  Lectures  susceptible  of  such 
treatment  are  illustrated  by  stereopticon  pictures 
or  by  laboratory  demonstrations,  the  latter  con- 
ducted upon  the  stage  with  suitable  apparatus. 
At  the  close  there  are  frequent  conferences  between 
the  speakers  and  their  audiences,  and  study  at  home 
of  the  subjects  discussed  is  stimulated  by  the 
distribution  of  syllabi  and  books.  The  approval  of 
these  lectures  as  attested  by  the  large  attendance, 
the  genuine  interest  shown  by  the  auditors, 
and  the  wide  information  contributed,  all  bear 
out  the  contention  of  their  enthusiastic  pro- 
moter, Dr.  Henry  M.  Leipziger,  that  they  form 
a  veritable  "  University  for  the  People/' 

EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

In  winter  time  the  school  buildings  help  meet 
the  needs  of  children  through  a  "wider  use" 
known  as  the  evening  recreation  center.  The 
most  highly  elaborated  and  efficiently  organized 
recreation  centers  in  this  country  are  conducted 
by  the  New  York  Board  of  Education. 

These  centers  are  supposed  to  receive  only 
those  boys  and  girls  who  are  no  longer  in  school. 
If  any  known  day-school  pupils  appear,  they  are 
sent  home  unless  they  have  come  to  use  the  study 
room,  which  at  some  of  the  centers  is  maintained 
under  the  care  of  a  regular  teacher  for  the  benefit 
of  those  children  who  are  unable  to  study  at  home. 

ii 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

For  the  sake  of  breaking  up  the  crowd  into 
small,  fixed  groups  which  can  be  made  to  rotate 
in  the  use  of  the  various  privileges,  the  youngsters 
are  urged  to  join  some  one  of  the  numerous  liter- 
ary or  debating  clubs  conducted  by  a  competent 
club-organizer  and  member  of  the  principal's 
staff.  These  literary  societies  meet  in  class  rooms 
certain  nights  in  the  week  and  deliver  essays 
and  orations,  or  conduct  mock  trials  or  debates. 
On  the  other  nights  they  play  basket  ball  or  use 
the  gymnasium  apparatus. 

The  unattached  youngsters  take  their  turn  at 
shuffle-board,  ring-toss,  ping-pong  or  some  of  the 
quiet  games  such  as  checkers,  chess  and  dominoes. 
In  the  girls'  centers  folk  dancing  prevails  in  place 
of  the  rougher  sports  liked  by  the  boys.  A  read- 
ing room  and  circulating  library  is  also  found  at 
the  recreation  centers. 

SOCIAL  CENTERS 

The  other  recreational  use  which  is  made  of 
school  buildings  during  the  ''winter  months  is 
designed  more  especially  for  adults.  The  school 
house  here  becomes  a  social  center,  and  a  con- 
spicuous example  of  successful  work  of  this  kind 
has  been  attained  by  the  Rochester  Board  of 
Education. 

Certain  of  the  school  houses  were  equipped  with 
gymnasiums,  shower  baths,  chairs,  tables,  a  travel- 
ing library  from  Albany  and  a  set  of  table  crock- 
ery. Men's  civic  clubs,  women's  civic  clubs  and 

12 


THE    WIDER    USE 

"coming"  civic  clubs  for  the  young  people  were 
organized.  During  the  early  part  of  the  week 
the  clubs  rotate  in  the  use  of  the  meeting  room 
and  the  various  other  facilities.  On  Fridays  the 
men  and  women  meet  together,  hear  a  lecture, 
enjoy  an  entertainment  or  a  concert,  and  end  the 
evening  with  a  dance.  Sometimes  the  clubs  all  get 
together  for  a  "  feed. "  They  keep  the  gymnasium, 
piano  and  reading  room  in  use  most  of  the  time. 
When  the  amusing  features  begin  to  grow  slack, 
they  liven  things  up  with  a  debate  or  put  two 
opposing  political  candidates  into  the  arena  and 
listen  to  samples  of  campaign  oratory. 

These  clubs  hold  loan  art  exhibitions,  illustrated 
lectures  and  minstrel  shows  at  the  social  centers. 
Sometimes  a  civic  club  from  one  of  the  wealthier 
districts  will  entertain  a  club  from  a  poorer  dis- 
trict, and  the  latter  will  return  the  hospitality.  The 
sentiment  of  the  Rochester  people  is  well  expressed 
in  the  following  remark,  made  at  one  of  the  first 
meetings  in  a  social  center:  "This  is  a  great  dis- 
covery, to  find  that  we  have  a  beautiful  club 
house,  built  and  paid  for,  belonging  to  all  of  us 
and  all  ready  for  use." 

ORGANIZED  ATHLETICS  AND  FOLK  DANCING 

The  Public  Schools  Athletic  League,  in  New 
York  City,  holds  meetings  in  school  rooms  and 
conducts  in  the  gymnasiums  and  yards  the  chin- 
ning, jumping  and  other  exercises  which  do  not 
require  much  space.  Certain  school  systems  also 

13 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

encourage,  in  school  buildings  after  classes  are  dis- 
missed in  the  afternoon,  folk  dancing  and  simple 
games  for  girls.  On  account  of  the  prominent 
place  which  games  and  dancing  seem  destined  to 
hold  in  the  scheme  of  public  elementary  education 
they  will  be  treated  in  a  separate  chapter. 

MEETINGS  IN  THE  SCHOOL  HOUSE 

Only  one  other  use  of  school  buildings  coming 
within  the  scope  of  this  inquiry  remains  to  be 
mentioned.  It  is  that  of  allowing  various  organ- 
izations of  a  civic,  educational  or  philanthropic 
nature  to  meet  in  idle  class  rooms  or  auditoriums. 
Several  instances  will  serve  as  illustrations. 

A  very  progressive  use  of  the  school  house  as 
a  meeting  place  is  being  made  in  Philadelphia, 
where  a  Home  and  School  League  makes  use  of 
sixty  school  houses.  The  membership  of  each 
association  is  composed  of  the  teachers  and 
parents  of  the  children  who  attend  that  school. 
Lectures  and  addresses  upon  the  methods  and 
problems  which  arise  in  connection  with  the 
education  of  children  alternate  with  entertain- 
ments. The  bringing  of  the  parents  into  the 
school  house  so  frequently  for  social  occasions 
has  caused  the  people  in  the  neighborhood  to 
regard  it  as  a  social  center.  As  an  Italian  paper 
in  Philadelphia  stated,  "A  social  center  is  a  party 
in  the  school  house  to  which  everybody  can  come 
for  nothing." 

In  Boston  the  North  American  Civic  League 
'4 


THE    WIDER   USE 

for  Immigrants  gives  illustrated  talks  upon  Amer- 
ican customs  and  institutions  before  audiences  of 
foreigners;  and  in  twenty-two  districts  schools  are 
being  used  by  branches  of  the  Boston  Home  and 
School  Association  for  parents'  meetings  and  other 
public  functions  which  are  attended  annually  by 
some  25,000  people.  The  parents'  associations 
have  about  3000  members  who  pay  dues. 

Class  rooms,  especially  in  secondary  institu- 
tions, are  also  frequently  used  by  the  regular 
pvpils  as  meeting  places  for  their  literary  and 
debating  societies,  congresses,  school  banks  and 
social  organizations. 

Besides  the  activities  noted  above  there  is 
another  that  involves  more  or  less  use  of  school 
property,  but  which  in  its  larger  aspects  falls 
outside  the  field  of  our  discussion.  Certain 
schools  blessed  with  spacious  premises  are  profit- 
ably and  beautifully  devoting  their  yards  to 
gardening;  but  it  is  seldom  that  American  school 
grounds  have  room  for  this  work,  beyond  the 
maintenance  of  ornamental  plots  and  borders, 
after  the  equally  wholesome  demand  for  play 
space  has  been  satisfied.  The  school  garden  move- 
ment in  its  commonest  form  either  utilizes  vacant 
lots  and  home  gardens  or  requires  the  purchase 
of  additional  ground  and  thus  removes  itself  from 
this  discussion,  which  is  limited  to  the  use  of 
the  existing  school  plant.  A  further  reason  for 
omitting  this  subject  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  has  just 

'5 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

been  fully  .treated  by  M.  Louise  Greene  in  an  ad- 
mirable book  entitled  "Among  School  Gardens."* 

The  activities,  then,  which  will  be  treated  in  the 
following  pages  are  the  familiar  types  known  as 
evening  and  vacation  schools,  playgrounds  in 
school  yards,  public  lectures  and  entertainments, 
evening  recreation  and  social  centers,  organized 
athletics  and  folk  dancing,  and  the  use  of  school 
rooms  as  meeting  places  for  various  civic  and 
social  organizations. 

In  their  treatment  an  effort  will  be  made  to 
present  them  in  actual  operation,  describe  the 
various  forms  of  administration,  and  give  perti- 
nent details  as  to  cost,  development,  and  the 
social  amelioration  which  they  are  effecting. 

REFERENCES 

DEWEY,  JOHN:  The  School  as  a  Social  Centre.     Elementary  School 

Teacher.    Vol.  3,  page  73.    ' 
DUTTON,  SAMUEL  TRAIN,  and  SNEDDEN,  DAVID:  Administration  of 

Public  Education  in  the  United  States.     Macmillan  Company, 

New  York.     Contains  full  bibliography.     Pages  601. 
ELIOT,  CHARLES  W.:  The  Full  Utilization  of  the  Public  School  Plant. 

Proceedings  of  National  Education  Association,  1903.     Page  241. 
LINDSAY,  S.  M. :  New  Duties  and  Opportunities  for  the  Public  Schools. 

Social  Education  Quarterly,  March,  1907.     Page  79. 

*  Greene,  M.  Louise,  Ph.D.:  Among  School  Gardens.  New  York, 
Charities  Publication  Committee,  1910.  Russell  Sage  Foundation 
Publication. 


16 


II 

EVENING  SCHOOLS 


CHAPTER  II 
EVENING    SCHOOLS 

ON  East  Fifteenth  Street  in  New  York  City 
is  a  stone  edifice  five  stories  high  which 
occupies     nearly    an     acre    of    ground. 
Within    its    walls    are    forty-eight    class   rooms, 
six  laboratories,  twenty  shops,  a  capacious  audi- 
torium and  a  suite  of  modernly  appointed  offices. 
The  entire  plant  cost  the  taxpayers  $1,445,937.20, 
and  is  known  as  the  Stuyvesant  High  School. 

During  the  months  from  September  to  June 
this  immense  building  is  used  about  seven 
hours  a  day,  by  boys  and  girls  from  thirteen 
to  twenty  years  of  age.  When  the  teachers  de- 
part, at  five  o'clock  or  thereabouts,  the  building 
is  turned  over  to  the  janitors.  For  a  period  the 
doors  are  closed,  the  machinery  in  the  shops  is 
silent,  the  apparatus  remains  untouched  in  the 
laboratories — the  factory  rests.  Not  for  long, 
however,  for  scarcely  have  the  clerks  from  the 
stores  and  workmen  from  shops  and  factories 
finished  their  evening  meal  when  the  windows 
of  the  big  building  begin  to  light  up,  one  after 
another,  and  the  whole  facade  throws  its  radiance 
out  upon  the  street.  Soon,  a  man  walks  up  the 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

front  steps,  inserts  a  key  in  the  door  and  enters. 
He  is  followed  by  others,  singly,  in  pairs,  and  in 
threes.  Presently  all  the  doors  are  opened,  and 
men  and  boys  come  in  large  numbers,  from  the 
west  as  well  as  from  the  east. 

If  one  were  to  stand  in  the  lobby  of  the 
school  some  evening  about  eight  o'clock  and  watch 
these  men  and  boys  he  would  be  struck  with 
their  serious  mien  and  the  absence  of  frivolity  in 
their  conduct.  Each  seems  preoccupied  and 
bent  on  the  business  in  hand.  There  is  no  loiter- 
ing or  confusion  in  the  corridors.  Shortly  after 
the  gong  strikes,  the  hallways  are  deserted  and 
the  low  hum  of  machinery  and  the  buzz  of  voices 
indicate  that  the  factory  is  again  in  operation. 

The  principal  who  shows  one  about  is  also  in 
charge  of  the  day  school.  He  has  an  assistant  and 
a  separate  office  for  the  evening  work.  The  first 
rooms  that  one  visits  hold  classes  in  shop  arithme- 
tic, algebra,  and  geometry,  but  there  is  apparently 
little  reciting.  One  pupil  is  conferring  with  the 
instructor  at  his  desk  while  the  others  are  in 
their  seats  engrossed  in  study.  The  wide  differ- 
ences in  ability  and  progress  make  class  work  im- 
possible, and  the  instruction  is,  therefore,  almost 
entirely  individual. 

The  chemical  laboratories  reveal  two  classes, 
an  elementary  one,  composed  principally  of  drug- 
gists' assistants  who  hope  to  become  licensed 
pharmacists,  and  another  made  up  mainly  of  em- 
ployes in  chemical  manufactories  studying  the 

20 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

more  advanced  phases  of  the  subject.  "Many 
of  these,"  the  principal  explains,  "are  real  chem- 
ists. They  do  work  of  scientific  quality."  Both 
rooms  are  equipped  with  ample  supplies  of  test- 
tubes,  retorts,  crucibles,  individual  working  tables, 
and  the  other  apparatus  found  in  modern  chemical 
workshops.  The  instructor  exhibits  a  scroll  of 
tracing  paper  upon  which  one  of  the  pupils, 
outside  of  class  hours,  has  engrossed  important 
formulae  which  will  be  placed  where  all  can  refer 
to  them  and  thus  save  the  labor  of  copying. 

In  the  physics  laboratory  a  class  of  youths  is 
distributed  in  knots  of  two  or  three  around  a 
series  of  tables.  Each  group  is  provided  with  an 
electric  bell  outfit.  Some  have  the  apparatus 
separated  into  pieces  while  others  have  it  already 
put  together,  connected  with  the  battery,  and 
are  making  it  "go."  They  are  learning,  through 
hands,  eyes  and  ears,  the  rudimentary  principles 
governing  electro-magnets  and  electric  currents. 
The  knowledge  based  on  practical  experiments 
will  "stick,"  and  does  not  cost  them  the  amount 
of  mental  energy  required  to  concentrate  atten- 
tion upon  the  abstractions  in  a  book. 

Across  the  hall,  one  comes  upon  a  class  in 
applied  physics.  Here  are  maturer  pupils,  men 
—even  gray-haired  ones  —  as  well  as  youths  of 
eighteen  and  nineteen.  Their  faces  disclose  the 
features  of  the  Russian  Hebrew,  the  olive  com- 
plexion from  Naples,  the  florid  hue  from  Hungary, 
the  ruddy  cheeks  of  the  Celt,  and  the  character- 

21 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

istics  of  other  familiar  immigrant  types.  The 
clothes  and  hands  reveal  the  office  man,  the 
salesman,  the  mechanic  and  the  day  laborer. 
They  sit  in  semi-circular  tiers,  the  right  arm  of 
each  seat  having  a  flat  extension  which  affords 
a  resting  place  for  their  note-books.  They  are 
engaged  in  the  study  of  electrical  measurements 
and  their  attention  is  given  to  the  instructor  who 
stands  behind  a  table  loaded  with  galvanometers, 
voltameters,  induction  coils,  magnets  and  other 
electrical  instruments.  He  illustrates  the  lesson 
with  apparatus,  and  then  impresses  the  ideas  upon 
his  pupils'  minds  by  the  question  and  answer 
method  followed  in  the  day  high  schools. 

A  class  in  electric  wiring  and  installation,  a 
little  farther  down  the  corridor,  is  held  in  a  room 
which  bears  resemblance  to  a  grape  arbor.  The 
trellis  here  is  a  low,  temporary  ceiling  of  boards 
having  partitions  a  few  feet  apart  that  run  down 
to  the  floor  and  thus  make  a  series  of  booths  in 
which  the  pupils  work.  These  embryo  wiremen 
train  insulated  wires,  like  vines,  along  crevices, 
through  slits  and  around  corners.  They  solder 
together  broken  ends  and  wrap  splicings  with 
gummy  tape.  Here  one  screws  on  a  porcelain 
disk  from  the  center  of  which  will  depend  the 
wires  for  an  incandescent  bulb;  there  where  his 
system  taps  the  main  wire  another  installs  a 
fuse  block  with  its  requisite  fuse  plugs  just  as 
electricians  do  in  wiring  a  house  or  a  church. 

This  same  adaptation  of  instruction  and  drill 

22 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

to  the  practical  work  of  the  pupils  is  found  in  the 
pattern-making  room,  the  blacksmith  shop,  the 
mechanical-drawing  room,  and  the  class  in  steam- 
fitting  which  meets  down  in  the  boiler  room. 
Incipient  cabinet  makers  are  fashioning  writing 
desks  and  parlor  tables  which  would  do  credit 
to  a  "craftsman"  shop.  These  pieces  of  fur- 
niture they  take  home,  the  only  expense  to  them 
being  the  cost  of  the  lumber;  the  use  of  the 
machinery,  benches,  tools  and  the  assistance  of 
the  master  is  as  free  as  the  air.  In  the  plumbing 
shop,  among  the  plumbers'  apprentices,  there  is 
the  harness  maker  who  foresees  the  shrinkage 
of  his  trade  through  the  rise  of  the  automobile 
industry  and  who  is  now  preparing  himself  for  a 
new  occupation. 

The  class  in  electrical  engineering  is  made  up 
chiefly  of  power-house  employes  who,  at  their 
shops,  may  perhaps  only  handle  the  oil  can  or 
the  shovel — do  the  specific  task  for  which  they 
were  hired.  In  the  evening  school  they  take  dyna- 
mos apart  and  put  them  together  again,  set  electric 
motors  in  operation  or  study  the  mechanism  of  the 
arc  lamp.  Likewise  in  the  machine  shop  the  pupils 
run  lathes  and  become  skilled  in  those  operations 
which  they  may  not  master  in  the  specialized 
factories  where  all  day  long  they  perform  over 
and  over  again  one  tiny  part  of  the  total  manufac- 
turing process. 

In  the  freehand-drawing  room  there  are  budding 
designers  and  illustrators,  employes  of  art  stores 

23 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  lithograph  shops.  In  age  they  range  from 
the  boy  just  out  of  grammar  school  to  the  gray- 
beard  of  fifty,  and  upon  drawing  boards  tilted 
against  tables  and  easels  scattered  among  the 
desks  they  draw  from  plaster-of-Paris  Venuses 
and  curly-locked  Jupiters.  There  are  bas-re- 
liefs for  those  interested  solely  in  decorative  art 
and  casts  of  horses  for  those  striving  to  depict 
animal  life.  Frequently  the  class  forms  itself 
into  a  club,  hires  a  model  and  practices  drawing 
from  life.  A  scholar  in  cap  and  gown  intent 
upon  his  open  book,  a  tramp  with  a  week-old 
beard,  coat  over  arm,  leaning  on  a  staff,  or  just  a 
plain,  everyday  young  man  seated  in  a  chair, — in 
the  portrayal  of  figures  like  these  the  students 
find  abundant  drill  in  handling  draperies,  con- 
tours, proportions  and  light-values.  They  thus 
receive  an  all-round  training  in  the  technique  of 
the  ornamental  draftsman. 

The  instructor  in  this  room  is  an  illustrator  who 
spends  his  days  in  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
The  policy  of  the  authorities  is  to  employ,  so  far 
as  possible,  men  who  are  in  the  trades  or  who 
have  had  practical  experience  in  their  subjects. 
It  is  not  easy  to  find  people  with  these  qualifica- 
tions who  also  have  the  requisite  teaching  ability; 
nevertheless,  thirteen  out  of  the  twenty-seven 
members  of  the  nocturnal  staff  of  this  school 
are  occupied  in  practical  work  during  the  day- 
time. The  remainder,  who  are  teachers  in  the 
day  schools,  are  employed  mainly  for  the  mathe- 

24 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

rrjatical  and  laboratory  courses,  for  which  outside 
experience  is  not  so  necessary. 

Such,  then,  are  the  more  salient  features  of  a 
New  York  evening  trade  school.  It  does  not 
hope,  or  indeed  aim,  to  train  raw  apprentices 
into  finished  artisans,  but  rather  to  give  them  a 
solid  grounding  in  their  trades  and  to  afford  those 
mechanics  who  are  already  caught  in  the  industrial 
machinery  a  means  of  escape, — an  opportunity  to 
broaden  their  experience  and  improve  their  skill. 

TYPES  OF  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

NIGHT  INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS.  The  school  which 
has  just  been  described  is  fairly  representative  of 
the  night  industrial  schools  of  the  country.  The 
Springfield,  Massachusetts,  Evening  School  of 
Trades,  which  is  held  in  the  Mechanic  Arts  High 
School,  narrows  its  efforts  to  meet  more  particu- 
larly the  needs  of  the  semi-skilled  employes  in  the 
shops.  The  instruction  is  divided  into  the  follow- 
ing departments:  mechanical  drawing,  machine- 
shop  practice  and  tool  making,  plumbing,  wood- 
turning  and  pattern  making,  shop  mathematics 
and  electricity.  The  courses  are  outlined  in  detail 
and  most  of  them  involve  considerable  practice 
work.  The  class  in  mechanical  drawing  requires  a 
certain  amount  of  home  study,  while  for  this  and 
several  other  courses  the  men  have  to  provide 
part  of  the  instruments  and  tools.  The  attend- 
ance at  the  machine-shop  practice  and  tool-making 
classes  has  exhausted  the  capacity  of  the  shops  and 

25 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

a  waiting  list  has  been  created.  A  considerable 
return  has  been  made  to  the  city  in  the  tools  and 
other  apparatus  constructed  by  the  pupils. 

The  Cleveland  Technical  High  School  in  its 
evening  course  offers,  besides  the  usual  subjects, 
instruction  in  foundry  practice,  sheet  metal  work, 
bookbinding,  pottery,  leather  work,  water  color 
rendering  and  art  metal  work.  Women  also 
attend  this  school  and  there  are  classes  for  them 
in  plain,  hand  and  machine  sewing,  spring  and 
fall  millinery,  art  needlework,  plain  and  fancy 
cookery,  table  service  and  laundry  practice.  The 
distinction  made  in  the  aims  of  the  Buffalo  Tech- 
nical Night  High  School  is  that  it  is  not  a  place 
for  learning  the  "manual  parts"  of  a  trade,  al- 
though some  hand  work  is  done.  But  by  far  the 
larger  part  of  its  instruction  is  devoted  to  drawing 
and  the  "  mathematical,  physical,  chemical  and  me- 
chanical principles  which  are  incident  to  the  differ- 
ent trades."  New  subjects  given  at  this  school 
are  architectural  drawing  and  design,  sheet  metal 
draughting,  machine  design,  plane  surveying,  and 
gas  engineering  as  applied  to  automobile  and  mo- 
tor boat.  Altogether,  nineteen  courses  are  offered. 

The  early  evening  industrial  schools  were  de- 
voted chiefly  to  instruction  in  drawing.  The 
Fawcett  Drawing  School  of  Newark,  opened  in 
1885,  has  kept  fairly  close  to  its  original  purpose. 
Under  the  stress  of  modern  demands,  however, 
mathematics  has  been  added  to  its  course  and 

26 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

drawing  has  been  surrounded  with  a  group  of  re- 
lated subjects  such  as  painting  in  water  colors, 
clay  modeling,  machine  and  architectural  draw- 
ing and  designing,  arts  and  crafts,  and  a  popular 
course  in  jewelry  designing  and  manufacture. 

Evening  industrial  instruction  in  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  is  provided  in  three  schools,  two 
of  which  are  devoted  solely  to  drawing  (one  for 
freehand  and  the  other  for  mechanical)  and  the 
third  to  manual  training  courses  in  machine-shop 
work,  wood-turning,  pattern  making,  forging,  and 
foundry  work.  In  Worcester  there  is  a  drawing 
school  composed  of  mechanical,  freehand  and 
architectural  departments  which  are  not  con- 
nected except  through  the  relation  of  their  respec- 
tive heads  to  the  supervisor  of  evening  schools. 

EVENING  HIGH  SCHOOLS.  Coming  now  to  the 
next  type,  the  evening  high  school,  we  find  the  gulf 
bridged  for  us  by  a  class  of  institution  like  that 
in  Newark,  where  instruction  is  offered  not  only 
in  mathematics,  English,  Latin,  the  modern  lan- 
guages, science,  bookkeeping,  stenography  and 
typewriting,  but  also  in  such  manual  subjects  as 
drawing,  shop-work,  cooking,  sewing,  millinery, 
nursing  and  art  needlework.  The  Cincinnati  High 
School  likewise  gives  its  night  pupils  carpentry, 
cabinet  making  and  mechanical  drawing  and  has 
one  avowed  trade  class  in  pattern  making  which  is 
attended  by  apprentices  in  that  craft.  Stencil- 
ing, leather  tooling  and  china  painting  are  given 
in  the  Lowell,  Massachusetts,  High  School.  As  a 

27 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

rule,  however,  the  industrial  courses  found  in 
these  schools  are  of  the  sort  afforded  by  manual 
training  shops  and  are  better  suited  to  the  needs 
of  amateurs  than  of  mechanics  already  engaged 
in  the  trades. 

The  most  typical  features  of  the  evening  high 
schools,  aside  from  the  usual  literary,  scientific 
and  mathematical  work,  are  the  business  courses 
and  the  training  afforded  in  the  vocations  of 
women.  Of  the  twenty-nine  courses  offered  in  New 
York  five  give  a  commercial  training  and  four  a 
preparation  for  dressmaking,  millinery  and  the 
household  occupations.  In  Newark,  the  pupils 
taking  business  courses  form  23  per  cent  and 
those  taking  domestic  science  33  per  cent  of  the 
whole  number  of  students.  A  large  majority  of 
the  evening  school  certificates  granted  in  Provi- 
dence go  to  young  men  and  women  who  have 
completed  commercial  subjects.  The  Lawrence, 
Massachusetts,  business  department  of  the  evening 
schools  includes  a  course  in  penmanship  and  card 
printing  which  is  very  popular. 

In  Newark,  Worcester,  and  several  other  cities 
the  secondary  evening  schools  have  classes  for  the 
preparation  of  those  who  wish  to  take  the  civil 
service  examinations.  Pittsburgh  during  a  re- 
cent winter  had  one  hundred  pupils  in  this  de- 
partment, three-quarters  of  whom  were  trying 
for  the  post  office  service,  while  the  remainder 
intended  to  take  the  railway  mail,  custom  house 
and  departmental  clerkship  examinations. 

28 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

The  closer  organization  of  these  schools,  the 
greater  homogeneity  of  the  pupils  in  age  and 
interests,  and  the  more  frequent  social  oppor- 
tunities offered  to  those  who  pass  through  a  cur- 
riculum, are  responsible  for  the  existence  among 
them  of  more  student  societies  and  activities  than 
are  found  in  the  technical  institutions.  In  the 
Boston  schools  there  are  organizations  for  self- 
development  and  parliamentary  practice.  The 
national  anniversaries  are  celebrated  with  recita- 
tions and  songs,  and  the  pupils,  assisted  by 
talented  friends,  give  occasional  concerts  and 
entertainments.  The  class-room  work  is  inter- 
spersed with  illustrated  travel  lectures  and  ad- 
dresses on  topics  of  general  interest.  One  of  the 
schools  has  a  girls'  club,  while  the  graduates  of 
two  others  are  organized  and  hold  meetings.  De- 
bating societies  flourish  in  the  Worcester  school, 
which  also  has  an  active  graduate  association. 
Two  New  York  schools  have  come  together  in 
public  debates  and  discussed  such  questions  as 
"Strikes,  as  They  Affect  the  Working  Man" 
and  "  The  Municipal  Ownership  of  Public  Utilities." 

EVENING  ELEMENTARY  SCHOOLS.  The  kinds  of 
instruction  given  in  the  third  type,  the  evening 
elementary  school,  are  well  illustrated  by  the 
Buffalo  grammar  curriculum  which  contains  the 
following  subjects:  reading,  writing,  spelling, 
English  language,  geography,  arithmetic,  Ameri- 
can history  and  civics,  bookkeeping,  typewriting, 
stenography,  domestic  science,  dressmaking,  mil- 

29 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

linery,  mechanical  drawing,  carpentry  and  Eng- 
lish for  foreigners.  The  same  disposition  to  com- 
bine vocational  instruction  suitable  for  adults, 
especially  women,  with  the  common  English 
branches,  is  observable  quite  generally  in  primary 
night-school  courses.  Native-born  men  are  averse 
to  studying  the  "three  R's"  along  with  youths  of 
fourteen  and  sixteen  and  are  not  found  as  a  rule 
in  any  but  the  technical  classes.  On  the  other 
hand,  grown-up  women  will  readily  associate 
with  young  girls  for  the  purpose  of  learning  how  to 
trim  hats  or  to  make  their  own  clothes.  In  one  of 
the  New  York  elementary  schools  there  is  a  large 
class  in  English  language  and  composition,  com- 
posed of  middle-aged  colored  women,  which  is 
known  as  the  "  baby  class. " 

Certain  systems,  like  that  of  Cleveland,  offer 
only  the  academic  subjects,  and  still  concentrate 
their  energies  upon  the  original  purpose  of  these 
schools,  which  was  to  continue  an  interrupted 
elementary  education  or  to  bring  it  up  to  the 
point  that  would  secure  admission  to  the  secon- 
dary and  technical  classes.  While  in  most  cities 
courses  are  outlined  and  pupils  are  expected 
to  follow  them,  the  grading  is  usually  flexible. 
Cambridge  finds  the  differences  among  pupils  so 
great  that  no  definite  course  is  arranged,  the  in- 
struction being  largely  individual  and  certificates 
admitting  to  the  evening  high  school  being  issued 
as  fast  as  students  qualify  for  them. 

The  New  York  elementary  curriculum  is  divided 
30 


TRIMMING  THEIR  OWN   HATS  IN  AN   EVENING  SCHOOL 


THE  "  BABY  CLASS"  IN  ENGLISH 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

into  senior  and  junior  departments,  the  former 
giving  more  advanced  instruction  in  nearly  the 
same  subjects,  with  a  section  in  addition  devoted 
to  the  teaching  of  English  and  civics  to  foreigners. 
This  latter  work  Superintendent  Brumbaugh  of 
Philadelphia  believes  will  be  increasingly  the  chief 
object  of  the  American  primary  night  school.  In 
his  city  41  per  cent  of  the  evening  pupils  are 
foreign-born,  while  in  Chicago  57  per  cent  of 
those  enrolled  enter  the  English  classes  for 
foreigners.  In  New  York  the  percentage  enter- 
ing for  the  same  purpose  is  36.  These  figures 
have  no  comparative  significance  and  serve  only 
to  indicate  the  importance  of  this  part  of  the 
work  in  the  larger  city  systems. 

The  foreign  classes  in  New  York  sometimes  con- 
tain twenty  or  even  thirty  different  racial  groups, 
as  it  is  not  possible  to  classify  according  to 
tongue  except  in  the  case  of  the  Italians,  Russian 
Hebrews  and  one  or  two  other  groups  which 
attend  in  large  numbers.  Consequently  it  would 
not  be  possible  usually  to  provide  a  teacher  speak- 
ing the  same  language  as  the  pupils,  and  strange 
to  say,  this  is  not  considered  advisable  by  the 
school  authorities  even  for  the  homogeneous 
classes.  There  are  successful  instructors  of  foreign 
birth  in  the  New  York  City  schools  who  teach 
English  to  immigrants,  but  not  a  few  principals 
believe  that  this  success  depends  upon  the  ability 
of  the  teachers  rather  than  upon  their  knowledge 
of  the  language  of  their  pupils.  It  is  a  question 

3' 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

much  discussed  and  the  experience  and  opinions 
of  school  men  differ.  An  Italian  once  attempted 
to  get  a  license  to  teach  in  the  New  York  evening 
classes  on  the  ground  that  his  compatriots  were 
dissatisfied  with  the  American  teacher  and  wished 
some  one  who  could  understand  them.  The 
superintendent,  accompanied  by  an  Italian  school 
commissioner,  visited  the  class  in  question  and  in 
response  to  their  countryman's  inquiries  the  mem- 
bers expressed  a  unanimous  preference  for  the 
existing  system,  explaining  that  they  came  to  learn 
English  and  not  Italian. 

There  is,  however,  an  attempt  to  grade  these 
pupils  roughly  into  beginners,  into  an  intermediate 
group  who  know  a  little  English,  and  an  advanced 
section,  some  members  of  which  in  a  short  time 
become  able  to  take  up  the  regular  elementary 
English  courses.  The  first  class  are  started  in 
their  acquisition  of  our  tongue  by  what  is  called 
the  natural  method.  Objects  and  pictures  are 
displayed  and  their  English  names  given  simul- 
taneously and  then  written  upon  the  blackboard. 
The  actions  expressed  by  simple  verbs  are  per- 
formed before  the  pupils.  After  the  foundations 
of  a  vocabulary  have  been  laid,  drill  in  pronun- 
ciation, reading  and  writing  follow. 

In  addition  to  the  instruction  in  English  the  pro- 
gram for  the  advanced  pupils  in  the  New  York 
evening  schools  also  provides  for  lectures  once  a 
week  from  the  principals  or  other  competent  per- 
sons upon  such  subjects  as  citizenship  and  its 

32 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

duties,  naturalization,  the  municipal  government, 
the  prevention  of  disease,  the  lives  of  great  men, 
and  the  significance  of  the  national  holidays.  In 
Buffalo  information  on  civics  and  a  knowledge  of 
American  geography  and  history  are  imparted 
through  the  reading  lessons  or  by  means  of  in- 
teresting stories.  Each  class  also  learns  to  sing 
"America/'  "The  Red,  White  and  Blue,"  and 
"The  Star  Spangled  Banner.11  In  Newark  a  well 
planned  system  of  civic  instruction  is  carried  out 
by  special  teachers  who  are  in  most  cases  able  to 
speak  the  language  of  their  pupils,  though  the 
foreign  tongue  is  used  only  where  interpretation  is 
necessary,  as  it  has  been  found  that  English  is 
generally  preferred  by  those  who  can  understand 
it  at  all.  The  aim  here  is  the  inculcation  of  the 
principles  of  moral  and  civic  conduct  rather  than 
the  imparting  of  information  about  governmental 
institutions.  Concrete  cases  are  presented  and 
data  are  drawn  from  the  experience  of  the  pupils. 
Topics  such  as  the  basis  of  family  relations,  or 
citizenship  and  fatherhood,  are  discussed  through 
several  lessons  with  the  greatest  freedom.  The 
instructor  then  analyzes  the  various  views  which 
have  been  presented,  causing  the  underlying  prin- 
ciple to  emerge  with  such  distinctness  that  its 
formulation  on  the  blackboard  is  frequently  the 
signal  for  handclapping  and  vigorous  expressions  of 
approval. 

The  keen  appreciation  which  the  immigrants 
feel  toward  these  opportunities  is  demonstrated 
3  33 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

by  the  absence  of  disorderliness  or  any  other 
occasion  for  discipline.  In  the  Newark  classes 
it  is  not  an  uncommon  sight  to  see  a  man  and  his 
wife  sitting  together  or  a  woman  accompanied 
by  a  couple  of  children  she  could  not  leave  at 
home,  while  in  all  the  cities  political  refugees, 
graduates  of  European  universities,  and  highly 
skilled  mechanics  of  foreign  training  are  found  side 
by  side  with  the  peasant  and  day  laborer,  enduring 
the  hardships  of  an  ill-fitting  educational  classifi- 
cation for  the  sake  of  learning  the  tongue  of  their 
adopted  country. 

OTHER  TYPES.  Besides  the  well-defined  types 
of  schools  which  have  been  described,  there  are 
scattered  courses  and  opportunities  of  various 
sorts  offered  during  the  evenings  in  public  school 
buildings  which  are  not  included  in  the  regular 
curricula.  Thus  in  several  of  the  Boston  evening 
schools  there  have  been  popular  classes  in  salesman- 
ship. The  gymnasiums  of  a  high  school  and  two 
intermediate  schools  in  Cincinnati  are  used  on 
alternate  evenings  by  classes  of  men  and  women 
who  are  instructed  by  competent  physical  train- 
ing teachers.  The  auditorium  of  another  large 
school  in  this  city  is  occupied  on  Friday  nights  by 
a  chorus  conducted  by  the  supervisor  of  music. 
The  students  are  chiefly  from  the  evening  schools, 
but  all  adults  with  musical  ability  are  admitted. 
Brockton  employed  experts  from  Boston  to  come 
and  give  two  courses  of  lectures,  one  on  steam  en- 
gineering, heating  and  ventilation,  and  another  on 

34 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

domestic  science,  for  which  subjects  it  had  been 
ascertained  through  advertisements  in  the  papers 
that  there  was  a  demand. 

In  discussing  the  possibility  of  a  mid-term  pro- 
motion for  a  pupil  in  a  certain  New  England 
school  the  boy  was  asked  if  he  was  able  to  study  at 
home.  He  replied  that  there  were  eight  in  the 
family  and  that  during  the  evening  all  occupied 
the  common  living  room,  which  was  the  only  place 
in  the  house  that  was  adequately  heated  and 
lighted.  This  difficulty  has  been  met  in  Newark 
by  opening  study  classes  at  five  of  the  evening 
schools.  The  pupils  range  from  the  fourth  year 
of  the  day  school  to  the  first  and  second  years  of 
the  high  school.  Experienced  teachers  are  in 
charge,  reference  books  are  brought  in  from  the 
public  library,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  enable 
pupils  to  help  themselves.  The  principals  all 
testify  to  a  noticeable  improvement  in  the  day 
work  of  these  scholars  since  the  study  rooms  have 
been  opened.  Similar  privileges  are  offered  to  the 
children  of  the  congested  districts  in  New  York 
City  in  connection  with  the  evening  recreation 
centers  maintained  by  the  board  of  education,  to 
which  reference  is  made  in  the  chapter  devoted  to 
recreation  centers. 

"Classes  in  additional  subjects  may  be  formed 
if  a  sufficient  number  of  pupils  apply  ten  days  be- 
fore the  opening  of  the  term."  This  announce- 
ment at  the  end  of  the  Pittsburgh  Evening  School 
Bulletin  indicates  the  growing  attitude  of  school 

35 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

boards  toward  the  extension  of  evening  instruc- 
tion. They  appreciate  the  fact  that  the  willing- 
ness to  add  two  hours  of  hard  mental  application 


$60 
$55 

$50 

$45 
$40 

$35 
$30 
$25 
$20 
$15 
$10 
$  5 


Age  15  20  25  30  35  37 

The  Money  Value  of  Industrial  Training.  Average  Weekly  Earn- 
ings of  Graduates  of  the  Newark  Evening  Technical  School.  Com- 
piled by  the  New  Jersey  Commission  on  Industrial  Education  on 
returns  from  85  per  cent  of  the  graduates. 

— —  Machine  Industries.  =  All  Classes  of  Graduates. 

to  the  end  of  an  exhausting  day's  work  shows  grit 
and  ambition  above  the  average;  and  in  recogni- 
tion of  the  value  to  the  community  of  trained 

36 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

ability  they  stand  ready  to  provide  any  kind  of  in- 
struction that  is  demanded  by  a  class  large  enough 
to  make  the  extra  labor  and  expense  involved  ap- 
pear worth  while. 

This  attitude  is  justified  by  the  history  of  night 
school  work.  The  increase  of  the  pupil's  wage- 
earning  power  which  it  may  produce  under  favor- 
able circumstances  has  been  demonstrated  by  the 
experience  of  the  graduates  of  the  Newark  Tech- 
nical School  (see  diagram  on  the  opposite  page). 
This  is  a  state  institution  and  makes  a  specialty 
of  evening  instruction,  but  its  achievements  are 
not  beyond  the  capabilities  of  a  city  technical 
high  school  that  has  a  strong  evening  depart- 
ment. 

References  to  the  beneficial  effects  of  the  eve- 
ning classes  are  continually  met  with  in  school 
reports.  Says  a  Cambridge  principal:  "I  have 
watched  the  influence  of  our  school  on  many  a 
mischievous  boy,  and  have  seen  him  become 
thoughtful,  industrious,  ambitious,  and  self-re- 
specting." A  Buffalo  report  refers  to  the  students 
of  ten  years  ago  who  "  are  now  numbered  among 
our  leading  business  and  professional  men."  In- 
stances like  those  of  the  ordinary  laborer  who, 
through  the  knowledge  gained  by  his  evening 
technical  training,  became  superintendent  of  a 
department  in  a  large  industrial  establishment,  or 
the  factory  operative  who  hit  upon  an  idea  for 
improving  his  machine  and  studied  mechanical 
drawing  to  learn  how  to  draw  the  plans  for  the 

37 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

new  parts,  can  be  duplicated  many  times  in  any  of 
the  trade  schools.  Many  a  lonely  young  woman 
in  the  city  has  found  friends  through  her  atten- 
dance at  a  sewing  or  millinery  class,  and  the  dress- 
making groups  now  and  then  disclose  young 
brides-to-be  who  are  making  most  of  their  trous- 
seaux through  the  munificence  of  the  city's  in- 
struction. Enthusiastic  superintendents  point  to 
the  American  culinary  methods  which  the  immi- 
grant wives  are  acquiring  in  the  cooking  classes, 
and  the  good  citizens  which  are  being  made  of  their 
husbands  through  the  teaching  of  English  and 
civics.  From  clergymen,  teachers,  and  observers 
of  all  sorts  the  universal  testimony  is  that  the 
knowledge  and  skill  acquired  in  the  evening  classes 
result  not  only  in  better  dressed  but  in  more 
self-reliant  and  self-respecting  men  and  women. 

ADMINISTRATION 

The  maintenance  of  public  evening  schools  in 
the  United  States  falls  usually  upon  the  local 
board  of  education.  An  exception  to  this  rule 
is  found  in  Massachusetts  where  the  industrial 
schools  of  eleven  cities  received,  through  the  co- 
operation of  the  State  Commission  on  Industrial 
Education,  a  large  part  of  their  support  from  the 
state.  These  schools  were  managed,  however,  by 
the  school  committees. 

The  executive  in  charge  of  New  York's  evening 
schools  is  one  of  the  district  superintendents  de- 
tailed for  that  purpose,  and  is  directly  under  one 

38 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

of  the  associate  city  superintendents  with  whom 
he  consults  regarding  the  courses  of  study  and 
matters  of  policy.  In  the  supervision  of  the  class 
work  he  is  assisted  by  the  district  superintendents 
who  are  assigned  to  the  evening  schools  in  their 
own  districts.  The  directors  of  special  subjects 
in  the  day  sessions  supervise  the  evening  high 
school  classes  which  are  pursuing  work  in  their 
fields,  a  plan  that  has  given  general  satisfaction. 
It  is  becoming  the  general  custom  in  most  cities 
to  place  all  of  the  evening  schools  under  the  charge 
of  one  man.  In  Cambridge  he  is  called  the 
"agent  of  the  school  committee,"  in  Indianapolis, 
"director,"  but  more  frequently  the  title  of 
"supervisor"  is  given  to  him.  Quite  often  he  is 
an  energetic  principal  of  a  day  school,  or,  as  in 
Newark,  he  has  charge  of  the  public  lectures  as 
well  as  of  the  evening  schools.  The  first  super- 
visor of  night  instruction  in  Boston  was  also 
charged  with  the  conduct  of  the  vacation  schools. 
In  Cleveland  there  is  one  supervisor  for  the  high 
and  another  for  the  elementary  classes.  These 
supervisors  are  usually  men  of  high  professional 
ability  and  of  more  than  average  enterprise,  and 
their  appointment  is  followed,  as  was  the  case  in 
Lawrence,  Massachusetts,  by  marked  improve- 
ment in  the  efficierfcy  and  character  of  the  work. 
In  this  city  there  had  always  been  considerable 
trouble  at  the  beginning  of  the  term  in  classifying 
the  large  immigrant  body.  The  beginners,  those 
who  knew  a  little  English,  and  those  more  advanced 

39 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

were  so  inextricably  mixed,  conversation  with 
them  was  so  difficult,  and  the  names  on  old  class 
lists  so  unmanageable,  that  even  with  the  aid  of  in- 
terpreters the  American  teachers  lost  several  days 
before  a  practicable  grading  was  effected.  The 
new  supervisor  hit  upon  the  scheme  of  giving  out, 
at  the  end  of  the  term,  different  colored  cards  to 
these  three  groups.  On  resuming  work  in  the 
fall  those  with  white  cards  were  corralled  in  one 
room,  those  with  red  and  yellow  ones  were  as- 
sembled in  others,  and  the  classes  settled  down  to 
regular  work  on  the  second  night  of  the  term. 
This  is  only  one  of  several  important  reforms  which 
were  accomplished  through  the  employment  of 
an  expert  in  administration  whose  time  and  en- 
ergy were  not  consumed  in  the  work  of  teaching. 
Another  factor  in  the  betterment  of  the  Law- 
rence system  was  the  backing  which  the  new 
supervisor  received  from  the  sub-committee  of 
the  local  board  on  evening  schools.  They  were 
men  who  could  not  only  appreciate  educational 
needs,  but  had  the  back-bone  requisite  for 
removing  inefficient  teachers  and  making  other 
beneficial  changes  that  demanded  courage.  The 
assignment  of  a  sub-committee  of  the  school 
boards  to  evening  schools  is  peculiar  to  New 
England.  Of  the  thirty-six  6ities  which  do  this, 
found  by  an  examination  of  109  lists  of  board 
committees,  twenty-eight  belonged  to  that  section 
of  the  country.  When  it  is  seen  that  twenty  of 
these  were  in  Massachusetts  one  wonders  if  this 

40 


DRESSMAKING  IN  A   BROCKTON  CLASS  ROOM 


THE  CLEVELAND  TECHNICAL  H.  S.  RUNS  EVENING 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

custom  does  not  offer  a  partial  explanation  of 
the  reason  why  that  state  (see  page  102  for  the 
figures)  leads  the  country  in  the  proportion  of 
its  inhabitants  who  take  advantage  of  night  school 
opportunities. 

The  appointment  of  teachers  in  New  York 
City  is  made  from  appropriate  eligible  lists  in  the 
order  of  their  standing.  These  lists  are  prepared 
by  a  board  of  examiners  after  written  and  oral 
examinations,  or  in  the  case  of  regularly  licensed 
day-school  teachers  after  a  close  scrutiny  of  their 
records.  In  Newark  an  effort  is  made  to  secure 
qualified  persons  who  are  not  employed  in  the  day 
schools,  though  teachers  who  are  and  whose 
record  for  the  past  year  was  at  least  "good"  may 
be  so  employed  if  other  instructors  are  not  avail- 
able. Here  a  standard  teacher's  certificate,  or  a 
college  or  normal  school  diploma,  together  with  a 
certain  amount  of  successful  experience,  may  be 
offered  in  lieu  of  an  examination  for  an  evening- 
school  license. 

"The  men  employed  as  instructors  are  chosen 
on  account  of  their  practical  knowledge  of,  and 
experience  in,  the  lines  which  they  are  to  teach, 
and  each  is  an  expert  in  his  profession."  This 
statement  in  the  prospectus  of  the  Buffalo  Tech- 
nical Night  High  School  gives  the  aim  generally 
followed  in  the  selection  of  teachers  for  this  class 
of  schools.  Some  cities  find  it  impossible  to 
achieve  this,  however,  without  drawing  upon  the 
regular  school  force,  and  there  is  a  danger  then  of 

41 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

impairing  its  efficiency  for  the  day  work.  To 
obviate  this  difficulty  somewhat  the  Springfield 
Trade  School  sessions  were  cut  from  six  to  four 
nights  a  week.  Cleveland  overcomes  this  diffi- 
culty by  providing  a  separate  corps  for  the  eve- 
ning classes  in  its  Technical  High  School. 

This  endeavor  to  avoid  the  employment  of  day 
teachers  obtains  in  both  the  elementary  and  high 
schools  among  most  of  the  larger  cities  but  very 
few  of  the  smaller  ones  are  able  to  adopt  the 
policy  on  account  of  the  scarcity  of  instructors. 
The  wisdom  in  any  case,  of  having  some  sort  of 
a  civil  service  regulation  governing  the  appoint- 
ment of  the  evening  force  has  been  clearly  demon- 
strated in  Philadelphia,  where,  prior  to  1907,  no 
certificates  were  required,  and  where  the  number  of 
positions  filled  depended  entirely  upon  the  special 
appropriations  which  the  councilmen  were  willing 
to  make  for  their  friends.  During  the  year  named 
a  new  plan  was  put  into  effect  the  chief  features 
of  which  were  the  provision  by  the  superinten- 
dent's office  of  an  eligible  list  made  up  of  ap- 
proved teachers  with  at  least  two  years'  expe- 
rience in  the  local  schools;  and  the  authority  to 
reduce  the  number  of  evening  classes  to  the  point 
where  adequate  accommodations  were  provided 
for  all  persons  over  fourteen  who  had  a  right  to 
attend.  As  a  result  of  the  change  Philadelphia 
obtained  better  schools,  more  efficient  teaching, 
and  a  more  satisfactory  service  to  the  people  at  a 
cost  of  at  least  $30,000  less  per  year. 

42 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

Regarding  the  admission  of  pupils  the  Pennsyl- 
vania state  law  says,  "  No  one  may  attend  the 
evening  schools  who  is  under  fourteen  years  of 
age,  who  is  unemployed  during  the  day,  who  can 
attend  a  day  school  either  public  or  private,  or 
who  is  not  a  resident  of  the  school  district." 
The  same  minimum  age  obtains  in  New  York 
City  and  Indianapolis;  in  Auburn,  New  York,  it 
is  sixteen;  in  Philadelphia  and  Cleveland  fifteen; 
while  in  St.  Louis  and  Newark  no  children  under 
twelve  may  attend  the  evening  schools.  Most 
cities  also  add,  in  effect,  the  provisions  contained 
in  the  Pennsylvania  statute  regarding  employ- 
ment and  attendance  at  day  school.  For  en- 
trance to  the  high  schools,  especially  in  the  case 
of  those  well  organized,  the  scholastic  require- 
ments are  practically  the  same  as  those  for  the 
day  secondary  schools;  namely,  either  an  ele- 
mentary certificate  or  the  demonstration,  in  a  test 
involving  power  rather  than  memory,  of  the 
possession  of  an  equivalent  education. 

COST  OF  MAINTAINING  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

City  Year          Expenditures        Per  Capita  * 

Cambridge 1908  $16,575.62  $13.18 

Chicago 1908  133,040.08  12.1? 

Newark 1909  120,067.67  19.28 

New  York 1909  754,112.95  17*92 

Providence 1908  39,230.06  14. 1 1 

St.  Louis 1908  26,760.85  8. 1 1 

Springfield  (Mass.) 1908  17,472.65  14.21 

*  Based  on  average  attendance. 
43 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

The  above  figures  give  a  notion  of  the  financial 
aspect  of  evening  school  undertakings  but  they  can- 
not fairly  be  used  as  a  basis  for  inter-city  compari- 
sons. They  were  taken  from  published  statements, 
and  among  educational  accounting  practices  there 
is  a  lack  of  uniformity  in  the  treatment  of  such 
items  as  supervision,  general  expenses,  heat  and 
light,  etc.  Thus  in  the  report  of  the  Springfield 
schools  the  sum  of  $483.47  is  included  as  the  pro- 
portion of  the  general  expenses  of  the  school 
system  allotted  to  the  evening  department,  while 
Providence  has  not  figured  in  that  item  at  all. 
Besides,  certain  kinds  of  instruction  are  more 
expensive  than  others.  The  per  capita  cost  (for 
average  attendance)  of  the  New  York  high  and 
trade  schools  is  $3 1 .36  while  that  of  the  elementary 
department  is  $13.73.  Consequently  a  city  with 
a  proportionately  large  number  of  persons  taking 
advanced  studies  would  show  a  higher  cost  per 
pupil  than  one  with  a  relatively  small  attendance 
in  this  department.  Thus,  the  difference  between 
the  Newark  and  New  York  per  capita  figures  is 
mainly  due  to  the  fact  that  40  per  cent  of  the 
former's  pupils  are  in  the  secondary  and  indus- 
trial departments,  while  in  New  York  the  same 
class  of  students  form  only  20  per  cent  of  the 
total  attendance.  In  like  manner  the  lowness  of 
Chicago's  figures  is  partly  explained  by  the  fact 
that  only  18  per  cent  of  her  pupils  are  in  the 
high  schools. 


44 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

Variation  in  the  number  of  sessions  also  has 
a  bearing  upon  the  relative  expensiveness.  Thus, 
Chicago  with  a  lower  per  capita  cost  than  Provi- 
dence (taking  two  cities  where  the  high  and 
elementary  schools  are  run  the  same  number  of 
nights)  expends  $0.152  per  pupil  per  evening 
while  in  the  latter  city  the  amount  is  $0.141. 
This  is  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Rhode  Island  city 
keeps  her  classes  open  one  hundred  nights  while 
Chicago  keeps  hers  open  only  eighty. 

Where  the  character  of  the  instruction  remains 
practically  uniform  the  tendency  of  the  cost 
per  pupil  is  to  decrease;  this  means  not  only  that 
there  is  generally  an  increase  in  the  attendance  but 
that  this  increase  is  enough  to  offset  the  gradual 
rise  in  teachers'  salaries.  An  example  is  found 
in  the  case  of  Providence  where  during  the  seven 
years  ending  in  1908  the  per  capita  cost  fell 
$0.22  while  the  total  expenditure  (mainly  salaries 
and  supervision)  was  augmented  by  $867.25.  In 
New  York  City  during  the  same  length  of  time 
the  average  attendance  increased  69  per  cent, 
while  the  cost  rose  only  58  per  cent  and  there 
was  a  consequent  drop  in  the  per  capita  cost 
from  $19.16  to  $17.92.  When  the  elementary 
schools  alone  are  considered  there  are  some  re- 
markable instances  of  growing  economy.  Thus, 
during  the  decade  ending  in  1907  the  per  capita 
cost  of  this  kind  of  instruction  in  Cleveland  fell 
from  $8.34  to  $2.83,  which  however  is  not  so 
strange  when  it  is  discovered  that  the  enroll- 

45 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ment  increased  23  per  cent  during  the  last  year 
alone. 

When,  on  the  other  hand,  attention  is  turned 
to  the  figures  for  all  classes  of  instruction  in 
a  city  where  there  has  been  an  enlargement 
of  the  educational  facilities  and  a  rapid  growth 
of  the  secondary  and  industrial  departments 
relative  to  the  elementary  division,  a  corre- 
sponding increase  in  expensiveness  is  discovered. 
In  Newark  during  the  seven  years  ending  in 
1907,  although  the  average  attendance  was  raised 
88  per  cent,  there  was  also  a  rise  of  39  per 
cent  in  the  per  capita  cost.  This  increase  is 
attributed  by  Superintendent  Addison  B.  Poland 
to  the  industrial  and  other  kinds  of  new  work 
which  have  been  introduced  into  the  elementary 
and  high  schools,  the  establishment  of  new  high 
schools,  increase  in  the  pay  of  teachers,  and  re- 
duction in  the  size  of  classes.  The  results  of 
these  improvements  can  be  seen  in  the  fact  that 
while  only  sixteenth  in  point  of  size  Newark  ranks 
fifth  among  the  cities  of  the  United  States  as 
respects  average  attendance  at  evening  schools. 

In  both  New  York  and  Newark  the  pupils  pay 
no  fees  for  tuition  or  for  the  use  of  apparatus  and 
material  in  the  laboratory  or  shop  courses.  The 
Springfield  Trade  School,  however,  charges  in- 
cidental fees  ranging  from  $2.50  to  $8.00  and  non- 
resident pupils  tuition  fees  in  addition  of  from 
$10  to  $15.  All  members  are  required  to  fur- 
nish individual  outfits  of  tools  and  instruments,  so 

46 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

that  while  the  expenditures  for  1908  in  this  school 
amounted  to  $3801.53  the  return  of  $1102.75  in 
the  shape  of  fees  and  receipts  from  the  sale  of 
lead  waste  brought  the  per  capita  cost  (average 
attendance  was  262.5)  to  tne  taxpayers  down  to 
$10.28.  The  receipts  from  fees  of  this  sort  for 
the  same  year  in  Cleveland  were  $1228,  in  St. 
Louis  $696,  and  in  Los  Angeles,  approximately 
$1700. 

The  relative  importance  of  the  different  items 
entering  into  the  cost  of  these  schools  is  illus- 
trated in  the  following  table: 

TABLE  SHOWING  DISTRIBUTION  OF  EXPENDITURES  IN 

CHICAGO  EVENING  SCHOOLS  FOR  THE  YEAR 

1907-8 

Per  Cent  of  Total 

Salaries,  principals  and  teachers 81.09 

engineers  and  janitors 8.60 

Gas  and  electric  light 6.94 

Fuel 2.56 

Printing .47 

Cooking  supplies 34 

Total 100.00 

In  view  of  the  prominent  part  played  by 
teachers'  salaries  in  evening  school  finances,  the 
amounts  obtaining  in  several  cities,  well  scattered 
geographically,  are  given  in  the  table  on  the  fol- 
lowing page. 


47 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 


TEACHERS'  SALARY  SCALE  IN  Six  CITIES — PER 
EVENING 


Positions 

Cam- 
bridge 

New 
York 

New- 
ark 

Mil- 
waukee 

St. 
Louis 

Los  An- 
geles * 

Supervisor    

$1000 

High  School 
Principal  

$4.00 

$7.00 

$15.00 

$:>.  CQ 

c  oo 

Vice-Principal   .  . 
Assistant  

2.OO 

5.00 

4.00 

3.OO 

4.00 

13-22 
3.OO   - 

Laboratory  Asst.. 
Junior  Teacher.  .  . 
Substitute  
Special  Subjects 
Supervisor 

3.00 
3.00 
3.00 

6.00 

4.00 

Manual  Training.. 
Cooking  

•- 

/3.oo 

I  3-5° 
3.00 

}- 

•• 

•• 

Sewing  

3.00 

Stenography  
Drawing  

3    OO 

•• 

4.00 

3.OO 

3.OO 

3.  CO 

Elementary  School 
Principal  . 

300 

500 

4  OO 

D    8? 

Principal,  5  rooms 
or  more  .... 

,w 

.\j\j 

4  OO 

Principal,  under  5 
rooms  

3  CQ 

Teacher  in  charge. 
Gen'l   Ass't    and 
Head  Depts..  .  . 
Assistant 

I  CO 

4.00 

3.00 
300 

o  OO 

:: 

2  CO 

2  Vs 

Teacher  

•*** 

2  CQ 

*  *7W 

Substitute  

2  OO 

D  OO 

£ 

*  Payment  on  basis  of  the  term. 
TENDENCIES 

"The  possibilities  of  the  evening  school,  es- 
pecially of  the  industrial  evening  school,  have 
scarcely  as  yet  been  imagined  even  by  educational 
enthusiasts."  In  these  words  Dr.  Poland  voices 
not  only  the  optimism  of  many  leading  educa- 

48 


EVENING   SCHOOLS 

tors  over  the  future  of  evening  instruction  but 
indicates  the  field  in  which  the  largest  develop- 
ments seem  likely  to  occur.  Of  substantially  the 
same  import  is  the  amount  of  attention  which 
American  schoolmen  have  been  giving  to  the 
study  of  the  German  continuation  school  system 
wherein  much  of  the  work  is  done  in  the  margin 
of  the  day  and  affords  training  for  industrial 
pursuits.  In  their  reports  for  the  year  1908  both 
Mr.  Andrew  S.  Draper,  Commissioner  of  Educa- 
tion of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Mr.  E.  G. 
Cooley,  Superintendent  of  Schools  of  Chicago, 
give  considerable  space  to  discussions  of  the 
German  Fortbildungsschulen*  and  the  solution 
they  offer  for  the  problem  of  equipping  young 
people  for  the  practical  business  of  life.  Mr.  F. 
B.  Dyer,  Superintendent  of  the  Cincinnati  schools, 
in  his  report  for  the  same  year  also  says,  "It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  the  German  practice  of  continua- 
tion schools  may  be  established  here." 

There  is  a  feeling  among  the  school  authori- 
ties that  costly  technical  equipment  should  be 
used  more  of  the  time.  Superintendent  Wilbur 
F.  Gordy  of  Springfield  expresses  the  desire 
"that  in  the  near  future  all  of  the  superior 
equipment  of  the  Technical  High  School  may 
be  used  six  instead  of  four  nights  a  week,  and 
for  forty  or  fifty  instead  of  twenty-four  weeks 
in  the  year."  This  disposition  to  increase  the 
use  of  the  class  rooms  as  well  as  the  laboratories 

*  For  description  of  these  schools  see  page  66. 
4  49 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

is  shown  by  the  recent  action  of  St.  Louis  in  ex- 
tending its  evening  school  term  25  per  cent,  and 
in  the  establishment  in  New  York  of  normal 
classes  for  teaching  day  teachers  the  new  free- 
hand movement  in  penmanship.  Dr.  Matthew  J. 
Elgas,  who  is  in  charge  of  the  evening  schools  of 
this  city,  also  recommends  that  other  normal 
classes  be  organized  in  the  night  high  schools  for 
instruction  in  physical  culture,  music,  and  the 
teaching  of  English  to  foreigners. 

In  support  of  Dr.  Brumbaugh's  contention 
that  the  evening  elementary  school  will  be  in- 
creasingly an  institution  for  the  Americanization 
of  foreign-born  people,  may  be  brought  forward 
the  following  recommendations  of  the  New  York 
State  Commission  on  Immigration  which  are 
endorsed  by  Dr.  Maxwell  and  quoted  in  his  1909 
report : 

"  i .  That  night  schools  for  adult  aliens  be 
established  in  all  parts  of  the  state  where  the 
needs  of  the  resident  non-English  speaking  popu- 
lation show  that  they  are  required;  that  schools 
be  established  for  labor  camps  employing  such 
non-English  speaking  laborers;  and  that  the 
state  either  incur  the  expense  for  such  schools  or 
contribute  to  the  support  of  such  schools. 

"2.  That  the  attention  of  the  educational  de- 
partments of  the  state,  cities  and  towns  of  New 
York  state  be  drawn  to  the  following  proposals 
with  a  request  to  consider  and  act  upon  them: 

"a.  The  opening  of  night  schools  for  aliens 
50 


EVENING    SCHOOLS 

during  all  or  a  part  of  the  period  from  April  to 
October." 

Of  significance  in  this  connection  is  the  proposal 
to  establish  an  institution  to  be  known  as  the 
Massachusetts  College,  which  will  utilize  high  and 
normal  school  buildings  and  the  services  of  their 
teachers  throughout  that  state  between  the  hours 
of  4:30  and  9:30  p.m.,  three  days  a  week  and  a 
certain  amount  of  time  on  Saturday  and  Sunday. 
The  promoters  of  the  plan  argue  that  these  schools 
have  better  equipped  laboratories  and  libraries  and 
teachers  of  higher  scholarship  and  training  than 
were  possessed  by  the  old-time  colleges.  Through 
the  utilization  of  these  educational  resources,  after 
regular  day-school  hours,  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
state  will  be  able  ultimately  to  find  a  free  college 
at  every  railroad  and  street-railway  center  and 
receive  a  thorough  advanced  education  while 
living  at  home.  The  plan  requires  an  endowment 
of  $500,000  to  insure  its  success,  but  whether  or 
not  it  becomes  an  accomplished  fact  its  projection 
shows  the  present  trend  toward  the  wider  use  of 
the  school  plant. 

REFERENCES 

BALLIETT,  T.:    The  Organization  of  a  System  of  Evening  Schools. 

Proceedings  of  the  National  Education  Association,  1904,  page 

278. 
CREASEY,  CLARENCE  H.:   Technical  Education  in  Evening  Schools. 

Swan,  Sonnenschein  &  Co.,  Ltd.,  London,  190*. 
DUTTON,  SAMUEL  TRAIN,  and  SNEDDEN,  DAVID:  The  Administration 

of  Public   Education  in  the  United  States.     Pages  480-491. 

The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York,  1908.     Price,  $1.75. 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

JONES,  ARTHUR  J.:  The  Continuation  School  in  the  United  States. 
Bulletin  of  Bureau  of  Education,  No.  i,  1907.  (Contains  an 
extensive  bibliography.) 

See  also  the  courses  of  study  published  by  the  boards  of  education 
of  Buffalo,  Cleveland,  New  York,  Pittsburgh  and  Springfield,  and  the 
annual  reports  of  the  superintendents  of  schools  of  the  cities  named  in 
the  text. 

Further  references  to  works  on  evening  schools  are  to  be  found  on 
page  78. 


Ill 

EVENING  SCHOOLS  ABROAD 


CHAPTER  III 
EVENING   SCHOOLS  ABROAD* 

ENGLAND 

IN  the  city  of  Nottingham  a  boy  who  drops  out 
of  the  day  school  receives  very  shortly  a  circu- 
lar inviting  him  to  attend  the  evening  classes 
held,  let  us  say,  at  the  Bath  Street  school.  There, 
if  he  has  not  completed  the  fifth  standard  of  the 
day  school,  he  is  assigned  to  the  "institute  sec- 
tion" and  for  an  hour  on  Monday  and  Wednes- 
day evenings  his  time  will  be  taken  up  with  the 
three  R's.  The  session  is  two  and  a  quarter 
hours  long,  but  periods  devoted  to  recreative 
exercises  precede  and  follow  the  lessons.  Should 
the  boy  have  reached  a  higher  stage  than  the  fifth 
standard  in  the  day  school  he  will  be  allowed  to 
enter  the  "  preparatory  section "  in  which  classes 
are  held  five  evenings  a  week.  Here,  though 
consisting  still  of  elementary  subjects,  the  work  is 
more  advanced,  and  in  addition  singing  and  wood- 
work are  taught. 

If  the  pupil  is  a  girl,  the  arithmetic  is  reduced 
to  simple  trade  and  household  calculations,  with 

*  For  much  of  the  material  used  in  the  preparation  of  Chapters 
III  and  IV  the  author  is  indebted  to  the  works  of  Professor 
Sadler  and  Mr.  Arthur  J.  Jones,  which  are  mentioned  on  page  78. 

55 


(A.)-PREPARATORY  SCHOOLS 


Superintendent 


BATH  STREET  SCHOOL 

(YOUTHS) 


MR.  H.  L.  JACKSON. 


Institute  Section 

Preparatory  Section  &  Special  Classes 

Day 

7-15— 
7-55 

8-9 

9— 

9-30 

Day 

7-iS— 
7-55 

8—8-40 

8-45  —  9-3° 

Monday 

1 

& 

Reading, 
Writing  & 
Arithmetic 

£ 

Monday 

Recreation 

Arithmetic 
Singing 

Singing 
Arithmetic 
Writing  & 
Reading 

Tuesday 

7-30  to  9-30 
Woodwork  at  Leen  Side 

Wednes- 
day 

Writing 

Reading 

Wednes- 
day 

Reading, 
Writing  & 
Arithmetic 

Drawing 

Thursday 

7-30  to  9-30 
WoodcarvingatShelton  St. 

Friday 

8  to  9 
Drill  &  Physical  Exercises 
7-30  to  9-30 
Woodwork  (Leen  Side) 
(Shelton  St.) 

Superintendent 


(GIRLS) 


MRS.  KIRK. 


Day 

Institute  Section 

Preparatory  Section 

7-3o— 
7-55 

8-9 

9— 
9-15 

7-40—8-25 

8-30—9-15 

Tuesday 

M 

Reading, 
Writing, 
Sewing, 
Sick  Nursing  & 
Management  of 
Children 

H 

Reading  and 
Writing 

Cookery 
Sewing 

Reading  and 
Writing 

Cookery 
Sewing 

Thursday 

Reading, 
Writing 
Sewing 
Sick  Nursing  & 
Management  of 
Children 

Reading  and 
Writing 

Cookery 
Sewing 

Reading  and 
Writing 

Cookery 
Sewing 

EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

a  course  in  cottage  housekeeping,  practical  home 
nursing,  laundry  work,  plain  cookery,  hygiene 
of  the  home  and  care  of  the  baby,  and  art  needle- 
work. She  is  also  taught  old  English  games, 
Morris  dancing  and  how  to  sing  the  national 
ballads. 

These  two  sections  constitute  the  "  preparatory  " 
school  which  is  the  lowest  of  the  three  grades  of 
evening  schools  in  Nottingham.  The  arrangement 
of  hours  and  subjects  for  one  week  is  shown  in  the 
"time  table"  (A.)  taken  from  the  prospectus  pub- 
lished by  the  Education  Committee. 

The  next  higher  grade,  the  "continuation" 
school,  offers  four  distinct  courses:  (i)  A  prepara- 
tory course  of  two  years  in  elementary  subjects; 
(2)  an  industrial  course  covering  three  years'  work 
in  English,  composition,  technical  drawing,  ex- 
perimental and  workshop  mathematics  and  draft- 
ing for  building  construction;  (3)  a  commercial 
course  of  three  years  consisting  of  English,  a 
modern  language,  commercial  arithmetic,  short- 
hand, bookkeeping,  business  correspondence,  and 
typewriting;  (4)  a  domestic  course  comprising 
three  years'  training  in  housecraft,  all  kinds  of 
needlework,  dressmaking,  millinery,  laundry  work, 
domestic  hygiene  and  care  of  baby.  Besides 
those  which  are  prescribed  the  pupils  in  all  but 
the  preparatory  course  are  allowed  to  take  one  of 
the  following  optional  subjects:  English  history, 
commercial  geography,  duties  of  citizenship, 
singing,  ambulance  nursing  (first  aid),  physical 

57 


(B.)-CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 

ALBERT  STREET  SCHOOL 

Superintendent         MR.  W.  LEANING. 


Course 

Day 

Time 

Subject 

Instructor 

Preparatory 

Mon. 
Tues. 

(Reading,  English             f 
<      and  Arithmetic      —  -< 

Miss  S.  A.  THOMPSON 

MISS  A.  G.  WOODHEAD 

Thurs. 

1                                          I 

MR.  A.  E.  KNIGHTON 

Industrial 

Mon. 
Tues. 

(  English  and  Experi-  "J 
•<      mental  Mathematics    > 

MR.  A.  JONES 

Thurs. 

(.  Elem.  Tech.  Drawing  ) 

Mon. 

Technical  Drawing 

MR.  E.  LONGMATE 

Thurs. 

Building  Construction  

MR.  C.  F.  WARD 

Commercial 

Mon. 
Tues. 

J  English  and  Commercial  \ 
\     Arithmetic    J 

MR.  H.  McCAic  AND 
MR.  T.  POOLE 

Mon.  Thurs. 

Bookkeeping  (Elem.  & 

Adv.)            

MR.  T.  READ 

Mon.  Tues. 

Shorthand        

MR.  L.  HIND 

Thurs. 

Mon.Thurs. 

French             —         

Miss  F.  HARPER 

Tues.  & 

f  Commercial  Correspon-  | 

Thurs. 

* 

•<      dence  and  Office  Rou-  > 
(tine            j 

MR.  A.  PARNWELL 

Domestic 

Mon.  Tues. 
Friday 

1 
o 

Cookery        ) 
Cookery  (Advanced)       j 

Thurs. 

Laundry           —          

Mon.  Tues. 

§Needlework     ... 

MRS.  HILL 

Wed. 

(Adults)    ... 

MRS.  SHEFFIELD 

Thurs. 

»» 

Miss  THOMPSON 

Mon.  Tues. 
Thurs. 

§Dressmaking  

Miss  JACKSON 

Mon.  Tues. 

Sick  Nursing   

Additional 

Mon. 

Reading  &  Social  Sub-   "1 

Subjects 

Tues. 

jects           1 
Laws  of  Health         .  .  .  f 

MR.  R.  HILL 

Tues. 

Social  History            .  .  .  J 

Tues. 

Reading  and  Elocution 

MR.  DAVIES 

Wed. 

Singing             

MR.  GOOCH 

Thurs. 

Singing             

MISS  HOPEWELL 

Thurs. 

Ambulance      —         

DR.  RUCK 

Mon. 

Physical  Training  (Senior 

Girls) 

MR.  T.  MCCLUNK 

Tues. 

,           ,,(  Junior  Girls) 

Friday 

,,(Youths)   ... 

• 

Wed.  &  Fri. 

Woodwork       

MESSRS.  ROBINSON  & 

DANN 

§  Students  are  admitted  to  these  Classes  only  on  condition  of  their  purchasing  the  special 
apparatus,  etc.,  needed. 

58 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

culture,  woodwork,  wood  carving,  and  any  sub- 
ject included  in  the  domestic  course. 

The  arrangement  of  subjects  and  hours  for  a 
week  is  shown  in  Table  B. 

Students  in  this  school  pay  a  fee  of  about  36 
cents  per  term  for  each  subject,  and  those  desiring 
to  take  a  fourth  year's  work  in  any  course  have  to 
proceed  to  People's  College,  which  is  the  short 
name  for  the  Special  Commercial  and  Technical 
Centre  that  constitutes  the  third  member  of  the 
evening  school  organization  under  the  Education 
Committee. 

This  latter  school  is  designed  for  pupils  who 
have  attended  one  of  the  higher  day  schools,  those 
who  have  completed  a  course  in  the  continuation 
school,  and  for  other  persons  who  are  qualified 
to  receive  more  advanced  instruction.  Its  cur- 
riculum embraces  the  commercial,  industrial  and 
domestic  courses  given  in  the  evening  continua- 
tion schools  besides  more  advanced  classes  along 
the  same  lines,  and  offers  opportunities  to  specialize 
in  particular  subjects.  The  fee  for  each  subject 
per  term  is  three  shillings  (approximately  72 
cents).  The  full  list  of  courses  and  their  dis- 
tribution through  the  week  and  the  educational 
qualifications  of  the  instructors  are  shown  in  Table 
C  on  the  following  page. 

For  students  who  have  completed  the  People's 
College  evening  course  there  are  specialized  tech- 
nical and  trade  courses  at  University  College  and 
Nottingham  Municipal  School  of  Art  and  Design. 

59 


(C.)-COMMERCIAL  AND  TECHNICAL  CENTRE 

PEOPLE'S  COLLEGE 

[Centre  for  Special  Advanced  Classes] 

Superintendent  ...  ...  ...  MR.  J.  B.  COLEMAN. 


Day 

1 

Room 

Subject 

Instructor 

Monday 

7 

Mathematics,  Workshop 

Calculations,  &c..          

Mr.  POOL 

6 

§  Machine  Construction  and 

Drawing 

Mr.  A.  W.  BIRD,  B  Sc. 

Lab. 

Magnetism  and  Electricity 

Mr.  H.  W.  EVANS,  B.Sc. 

Lab. 

Chemistry            

Mr.F.S.  WATSON,  M.Sc.F.C.S. 

H 

English  

Mr.  IRVIN  WEBSTER,  M.A. 

E 

German  —         

Fraulein  WARSHAUER 

5 

Spanish  (Advanced) 

Senor  L.  BUSATO, 

Licencie*  es  lettres 

3 

Shorthand  (Pitman's)  Elem. 

Mr.  HOLEHOUSE,  F.Inc.,  S.T. 

i 

„                  „           Inter. 

Miss  MALLETT 

i 

Adv. 

8 

and  Reporting  
Bookkeeping  (Advanced) 

Mr.  R.  J.  BOOTH 
Mr.  E.  BAILEY,  A.C.I.S., 

Diploma  (Lyons)   1000 

9 

(Elementary) 

Mr.  J.  W.  PRIESTLEY,  A.C.I.S., 

i 

Inter-Cert,  of  Soc.  of  Acct3.  & 

a 

Aud. 

0 

B 

JMillinery              

Miss  ARCHER 

o 

Hall 

^Dressmaking  (at  Clarendon 

Si 

St.)      ....        

Miss  COLLEY 

00 

ist  fl'r 

Home  Nursing  and  Ambu- 

1 

C'k    ) 
Rm.  j 

lance  (at  Clarendon  St.) 
Cookery  (at  Clarendon  St.) 

Dr.  E.  MABEL  KENWOOD 

Tuesday 

00 

7 

Experimental  Mathematics 

0 

and  Workshop  Calcula- 

tions            

Mr.  POOL 

5) 

6 

Machine  Construction  and 

l> 

Drawing           ...         ... 

Mr.  A.  W.  BIRD,  B.Sc. 

g 

Lab. 

Chemistry            

Mr.F.S.  WATSON,  M.Sc.,F.C.S. 

g 

Lab. 

Telephony           —          — 

Mr..  A.  BROOKES,  B.Eng.  A.  A. 

>_ 

(of  the  Brit.  L.  M.  Ericsson 

<2 

Manufact.  Works) 

rt 

F 

English  —          —         ... 

Mr.  IRVIN  WEBSTER,  M.A. 

u 

4 

French  (Advanced)          

Mademoiselle  RABBE 

5 

Spanish  (Elementary)      — 

Senor  L.  BUSATO, 

Licencie*  es  lettrci 

3 

Shorthand  (Pitman's)  Elem. 

Mr.  HOLEHOUSE,  F.Inc.  S.T. 

a 

„                „            Inter. 

Miss  MALLETT 

i 

Adv. 

and  Reporting  

Mr.  BOOTH 

G 

Script  Shorthand  

Mr.  LINDLEY 

Lee.  R. 

Typewriting         

Mr.  G.  OLD 

8 
9 

Bookkeeping  (Elementary) 
Handwriting  and  Commer- 
cial Correspondence     

Mr.  J.  W.  PRIESTLEY,  A.C.l.S. 
Mr.  J.  W.  PEET 

H 

§Needlework         

Miss  BELFORD 

ist  fl'r 

Home  Nursing  and  Ambu- 

C'k   | 

lance  (at  Clarendon  St.) 
Laundry  Work  (at  Claren- 

Dr. E.  MABEL  KENWOOD 

Rm.  J 

don  Street)       

Hall 

{^Dressmaking       

Miss  COLLEY 

60 


PEOPLE'S  COLLEGE— continued 


Day 

1 

Room 

Subject 

Instructor 

Wednes- 

Woodwork (at  A'court  Street) 

Mr.    PUTTERGILL 

day 

at} 

Applied  Mechanics          

Mr.  A.  BROOKES,  B.  Ens..  A.  A. 
(of  the  Brit.  L.  M.  Ericsson 

6 

Elementary  Technical 

Manufact.  Works) 

Drawing          

Mr.  A.  W.  BIRD.  B.Sc. 

4 

French  (Elementary)       

Mademoiselle  RABBE 

• 

German  ... 

Fraulein  WARSHAUER 

S 

Spanish  (Advanced) 

Senor  L.  BUSATO, 

Licencitf  es  lettres 

F 

Esperanto            

Mr.  HODGES 

3 

Shorthand  (Pitman's)  Elem. 

Mr.  HOLEHOUSE,  F.Inc.,  S.T. 

a 

Inter. 

Miss  MALLETT 

i 

Adv. 
and  Reporting  

Mr.  R.  J.  BOOTH 

8 

Bookkeeping  (Advanced) 

Mr.  E.  BAILEY,  A.C.I.S. 

9 

Handwriting  and  Commer- 

Ckry) 
R'm  / 

cial    Correspondence  — 
(Dressmaking  (at  Clarendon 
St.)      

Mr.  J.  W.  PEET 
Miss  COLLEY 

B 

{Millinery             

Miss  ARCHER 

A 

Hall 

{Choral  Society  (at  Claren- 

i 

don  Street)       

Mr.  A.  RICHARDS,  L.R.A.M. 

Thursday 

2 

E 

Economics           ...         ... 

Mr.  IRVIN  WEBSTER,  M.A. 

° 

(Econ.) 

X 

a 

7 

Mathematics,  Workshop 
Calculations,  &c.          

Mr.  POOL 

•'. 

6 

{Machine  Construction  and 

2 

o 

Phy.  ) 
Lab.   1 

Drawing          —         ... 
Magnetism  and  Electricity 

Mr.  BIRD,  B.Sc. 
Mr.  H.  W.  EVANS,  B.Sc. 

K 

Chm.  1 
Lab.  / 

Chemistry            ...         ... 

Mr.  F.  S.  WATSON,  M.Sc. 
F.C.S. 

4 

French  (Elementary) 

Mademoiselle  RABBE 

S 

Spanish  (Elementary)      

Senor  L.  BUSATO, 

Licencte  es  Icttres 

F 

Esperanto            

Mr.  ROWE 

3 

Shorthand  (Pitman's)  Elem. 

Mr.  HOLEHOUSE,  F.Inc.  S.T. 

a 

Inter. 

Miss  MALLETT 

j 

Adv. 

G 

and  Reporting  
Script  Shorthand  

Mr.  BOOTH 
Mr.  LINDLEY 

I.ect.  1 

R'm  / 

Typewriting        

Mr.  OLD 

8 
9 

Bookkeeping  (Elementary) 
Handwriting  and  Commer- 

Mr. J.  W.  PRIESTLEY,  A.C.I.S. 

Hall 

cial  Correspondence     — 
{Dressmaking  (at  Clarendon 

Mr.  J.  W.  PEET 

St.)      

Miss  COLLEY 

B 
D 

IMillinery             
{Orchestral  Class  

Miss  ARCHER 
Mr.  A.  RICHARDS,  L.R.A.M. 

Friday 

Cookery  (at  Clarendon  Street) 
Woodwork  (at  A'court  Street) 

Mr.  PtmrERCiLL 

{  Students  are    admitted   to  these   Classes  only  upon   condition  of   their  purchasing 


the  special  apparatus,  etc..  required. 

NOTE. — In  connection  with  this  School,  Teachers'  Voice  Training 
at  Ilkeston  Road  Council  School  on  Mondays  and  Fridays  from  6- 


Inttnutrest 


I  Classes  are  held 
30  to  8-30  p.m. 
MADAME  FANNY  LYMN. 


01 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Scholarships  and  free  admissions  to  both  institu- 
tions are  obtainable  without  difficulty  by  students 
who  have  shown  special  qualifications  in  their 
previous  work. 

The  superintendents  of  the  evening  schools  are 
held  responsible  for  seeing  that  students  are  ad- 
mitted to  the  school  or  class  for  which  they  are 
educationally  fit,  that  they  are  promoted  only  on 
the  joint  recommendation  of  the  head  teacher  and 
the  "organizer,"  or  as  a  result  of  an  examination. 
They  are  also  obliged  to  send  to  the  organizer, 
at  the  close  of  each  term,  the  names  and  addresses 
of  those  who  go  on  to  the  next  grade.  As  a  rule 
students  under  seventeen  years  of  age  are  obliged 
to  enter  one  of  the  regular  courses  of  instruction, 
but  those  older  may  take  special  subjects  on 
giving  proof  that  their  attainments  justify  such  a 
course. 

The  evening  school  term  commences  the  first 
week  of  October  and  closes  the  end  of  July,  but 
a  five  weeks'  vacation  is  given  at  Christmas  time, 
a  twelve-day  recess  at  Easter,  and  another  one  of 
a  week  at  Whitsuntide.  All  students  are  obliged 
to  "sit  in"  an  examination  at  the  end  of  the  term 
conducted  either  by  the  school  authorities  or  by 
some  recognized  examining  body,  in  which  latter 
case  the  pupil  pays  the  fee  charged  by  the  organi- 
zation. 

Prizes  consisting  of  books  or  mathematical 
instruments  and  ranging  in  value  from  48  cents  to 
85  cents  according  to  the  grade  of  the  school  are 

62 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

given  to  all  pupils  who  (i)  take  one  of  the  courses 
of  study,  (2)  attend  not  less  than  nine-tenths  of 
the  class  sessions,  (3)  obtain  a  mark  of  not  less 
than  60  per  cent  in  home  work,  and  who  (4) 
present  themselves  for  examination  at  the  close  of 
the  winter  term.  Scholarships  entitling  students 
to  free  admission  to  the  different  evening  schools 
may  be  granted  to  those  specially  recommended 
by  their  respective  head  teachers.  The  local  Edu- 
cation Committee  may  also  in  exceptional  cases 
remit  the  tuition  fees. 

The  detailed  control  of  the  evening  classes  is 
delegated  "  to  a  Technical  Committee  of  Evening 
School  Management,  consisting  of  members  of 
the  Secondary  Schools  Sub-Committee,  together 
with  representatives  of  the  chief  local  associations 
of  employers  and  workmen  (for  business  subjects), 
and  ladies  experienced  in  housewifery  (for  domes- 
tic subjects)/'  In  the  selection  of  the  technical 
instructors  an  effort  is  made  to  secure  those  who 
possess  actual  business  (or  workshop)  knowledge 
of  their  subjects  and  for  the  classes  in  domestic 
training  experienced  housewives  are  employed. 

In  connection  with  the  continuation  schools 
there  are  swimming  classes  for  men  and  for  women 
under  the  direction  of  a  local  swimming  associa- 
tion. Medallions  and  proficiency  certificates  are 
awarded  by  the  Royal  Life-Saving  Society  after 
an  examination  held  at  the  end  of  the  term. 
Bronze  and  silver  medals  are  also  given  to  those 
who  swim  a  quarter  and  a  half  mile  respectively. 

63 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Another  collateral  activity  is  that  of  the  Evening 
Schools  Choral  Union  which  in  two  of  the  Com- 
mittee's buildings  organizes  choral  and  orchestral 
classes  that  are  open  without  fee  to  those  pupils 
taking  at  least  two  subjects  in  the  regular  evening 
schools,  but  which  cost  about  72  cents  each  to 
other  persons.  All  members  are  obliged  to  pass 
the  conductor's  test  and  purchase  the  necessary 
music  and  instruments. 

The  evening  education  system  of  Nottingham 
has  been  selected  for  description  because  it  has 
not  yet  become  so  elaborate  and  involved  that  its 
fundamental  principles  are  obscured.  London, 
Manchester,  Leeds,  Halifax,  and  a*  number  of 
other  cities  have  more  highly  organized,  com- 
plex systems,  but  they  are  all  governed  by  the 
same  motives  in  their  curricula  and  employ  prac- 
tically the  same  methods  in  their  administration 
as  those  which  prevail  in  Nottingham.  The  chief 
differences  are  found  in  the  provisions  for  tech- 
nical and  trade  instruction  which  naturally  con- 
form to  the  demands  of  the  local  industries. 
Thus  in  Leeds  special  technical  courses  are  given 
for  persons  engaged  in  the  following  trades: 

1.  Mechanical  and  electrical  engineering 

2.  Electrical  industries 

3.  Building  trades 

4.  Leather  and  boot  trades 

5.  Clothing  trades 

6.  Chemical  and  allied  industries 

64 


EVENING   SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

7.  Mining 

8.  Textile  industries 

9.  Printing 
10.  Farriery 

Each  course  is  arranged  with  a  view  to 
further  specialization.  Under  the  head  of  me- 
chanical engineering  the  instruction  afforded  is 
specially  adapted  to  fitters,  turners,  pattern 
and  boiler  makers.  In  Manchester  the  technical 
courses  exhibit  an  even  greater  range,  while  the 
London  County  Council  supports  adult  schools 
of  building,  photo-engraving  and  lithography, 
engineering  and  engraving,  arts  and  crafts,  as  well 
as  commercial  institutes,  science  and  art  centers, 
and  lecture  courses  on  English  literature. 

While  the  various  systems  frequently  show 
overlappings  in  the  courses  and  other  signs  of  a 
desire  to  accommodate  persons  with  prospects 
of  a  limited  advancement,  they  nevertheless  usu- 
ally reveal  a  ladder-like  structure  which  rises  out 
of  the  primary  room  and  reaches  to  the  univer- 
sity hall.  One  of  the  unifying  influences  that 
helps  to  produce  this  result  is  undoubtedly  the 
system  of  government  grants  by  which  these 
schools  are  largely  supported.  For  each  scholar 
over  twelve  years  of  age  receiving  twenty  or  more 
hours  of  instruction  the  national  Board  of  Educa- 
tion pays  the  local  Education  Committee  a  sum 
ranging  from  is.  6d.  (36  cents)  in  physical  train- 
ing to  5S.  or  6s.  (f  1.20  or  $1.44)  in  ordinary  science 
subjects.  In  the  higher  courses  grants  are  also 
5  65 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

allowed  for  high  marks  of  pupils  obtained  in 
examinations.  The  government  imposes  certain 
restrictions  as  to  the  length  of  the  recitations  and 
the  quality  of  the  instruction,  and  it  further  re- 
quires that  the  local  authority  bear  at  least  one- 
quarter  of  the  total  expenditure  for  maintenance. 

GERMANY 

In  Munich,  a  city  of  over  500,000  inhabitants, 
all  apprentices  from  fourteen  to  eighteen  years  of 
age  are  compelled  to  attend  school  for  at  least 
eight  hours  per  week  during  forty  weeks  of  the 
year.  There  are  over  8000  of  these  lads  and 
seven-eighths  of  them  attend  classes  in  which  all 
the  members  belong  to  the  same  trade.  Barber, 
baker,  builder,  bookbinder,  and  so  on  to  tin- 
foundryman  (finngiesser) — in  all  thirty-nine  dif- 
ferent groups  are  represented  in  these  "trade 
continuation  schools."  Boys  who  cannot  be 
accommodated  in  any  of  the  above  classes  are 
provided  for  in  thirteen  special  schools  where  they 
receive  a  more  general  training  than  the  pupils  in 
the  trade  groups. 

The  instruction  given  is  of  three  kinds:  (i) 
academic,  (2)  drawing,  (3)  practical.  Under 
the  first  head  is  included  German  literature, 
commercial  correspondence  and  arithmetic,  book- 
keeping, civics,  and  information  about  tools  and 
machinery.  Physical  exercises  form  a  part  of  the 
curriculum  and  each  apprentice  is  obliged  to 
attend  a  course  of  religious  instruction.  The 

66 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

drawing  courses  are  made  to  fit  in  with  the  prac- 
tical work  of  the  craft  shops  which  are  connected 
with  these  schools.  In  the  latter  the  aim  is  to 
supplement  the  training  which  the  apprentice 
receives  in  the  outside  workshop.  In  fact,  the 
keynote  of  all  the  instruction  is  that  of  interesting 
the  boy  in  his  trade.  That  is  not  good  education, 
the  Germans  believe,  which  makes  a  youth  look 
down  upon  manual  labor  and  fills  him  with  aspira- 
tions for  a  more  genteel  occupation.  Conse- 
quently they  arouse  the  apprentice's  pride  in 
his  calling  by  showing  him  its  commercial  and 
economic  importance.  They  give  his  hands  a 
love  for  tools  by  teaching  them  skill,  and  finally 
they  make  him  a  worthy  citizen  by  imparting  a 
knowledge  of  his  duties  and  responsibilities  to 
the  state. 

Employers  are  obliged  to  allow  their  apprentices 
a  certain  amount  of  time  each  week  during  which 
they  may  attend  the  continuation  schools,  and  the 
balance  of  the  required  time  is  put  in  on  the  weekly 
half  holidays.  No  compulsory  instruction  is  per- 
mitted after  seven  p.  m.  and  the  effort  is  to 
keep  Sundays  clear  for  devotions  and  recreation. 
Besides  the  obligatory  course,  however,  students 
are  permitted  to  take  up  any  other  subjects  in 
which  they  are  interested  and  for  this  voluntary 
work  week-day  evenings  and  Sundays  are  some- 
times used.  Attendance  at  these  schools  is  free 
to  apprentices  but  a  monthly  fee  of  half  a  mark 
(10  cents)  is  charged  for  the  material  used  in  the 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

practical  courses,  unless  this  expense  is  borne  by 
the  trade  guild. 

During  the  1908-9  session,  prizes  amounting 
to  2 1 50  marks  ($511.70)  were  awarded  to  sixty- 
one  apprentices  in  sums  of  30  and  40  marks 
(17.50  to$io)  for  the  purpose  of  "distinguishing 
the  best  and  most  gifted  students  and  lightening  the 
burden  for  them  of  further  industrial  training." 
Commendatory  diplomas  were  at  the  same  time 
bestowed  upon  twenty-two  other  pupils  and  the 
presentations  took  place  in  "a  ceremonial  manner" 
at  the  City  Hall  before  an  assemblage  composed 
of  municipal  and  school  officials,  representatives 
of  the  guilds,  teachers  and  parents  of  the  pupils. 

After  the  apprentice  has  served  his  term  he  may 
keep  on,  as  many  do,  in  the  same  division,  or  he 
may  enter  the  "continuation  schools  for  journey- 
men and  masters"  in  which  all  attendance  is 
voluntary.  The  subjects  taken  up  here  comprise 
geometry,  physics,  chemistry,  mechanical  and 
freehand  drawing,  painting,  modeling,  beater's 
work,  chased  work,  commercial  products,  work- 
shop and  laboratory  instruction.  The  business 
courses  include  arithmetic,  bookkeeping,  theory  of 
exchange,  commercial  law,  preparation  of  esti- 
mates and  commercial  correspondence.  Besides 
these  there  are  general  courses  comprising  the 
history  of  industry  and  handicrafts,  commercial 
geography,  hygiene,  trade-union  systems,  insur- 
ance laws  and  the  constitution.  The  purpose  of 
all  the  instruction  is  to  increase  the  interest  of 

68 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

the  students  in  their  trades  and  deepen  their  sense 
of  civic  responsibility. 

The  class  hours  are  from  seven  to  nine  o'clock 
week-day  evenings,  and  on  Sundays  and  holidays 
from  nine  to  twelve  in  the  morning  and  from  two 
to  four  in  the  afternoon.  A  certain  number  of 
classes  are  also  held  on  work  days  during  the 
morning  from  eight  to  twelve,  and  from  two  to 
five  in  the  afternoon.  The  tuition  fees  for  the 
Sunday  and  evening  classes  are  only  two  marks 
(50  cents)  a  month  for  Bavarians,  three  marks 
(75  cents)  for  residents  of  other  German  states, 
and  four  marks  (fi.oo)  for  foreigners.  Day 
instruction  in  the  trade  schools  costs  citizens  24 
marks  ($6.00)  for  the  winter  semester  and  20 
marks  ($5.00)  for  the  summer  term,  and  foreigners 
pay  twice  these  sums  respectively.  Special  rates 
are  made  when  single  courses  are  taken.  During 
1907,  scholarships  amounting  in  value  to  1500 
marks  ($357)  were  awarded  for  superior  work 
to  twenty-eight  pupils,  while  eleven  others  were 
honored  with  laudatory  diplomas.  During  the 
session  of  1908-09  there  were  1 14  classes  composed 
of  2049  pupils  in  these  schools. 

The  "Sunday"  schools  form  another  branch 
of  Munich's  educational  system  in  which  the 
instruction  is  given  partly  outside  of  the  regular 
day-school  hours.  Attendance  is  obligatory  for 
girls  up  to  the  age  of  sixteen  who  are  not  enrolled 
at  any  other  secondary  school.  The  instruction 
occupies  but  three  hours  a  week,  and  covers 

69 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

matters  relating  to  the  household,  clothing,  diet, 
family  duties,  the  training  of  children,  cookery 
and  civic  obligations.  For  those  who  cannot 
conveniently  attend  on  Sunday  there  are  classes 
on  Wednesday.  During  the  session  of  1908-09 
there  were  7427  girls  in  attendance.  They  formed 
226  classes  which  were  divided  into  three  groups: 
Catholic,  Protestant  and  undenominational.  Tui- 
tion is  free. 

The  industrial  continuation  schools,  to  which 
category  those  of  Munich  belong,  are  scattered 
throughout  Germany,  and  while  they  may  differ 
in  respect  to  organization  and  curricula  from  those 
which  have  been  described,  they  have  this  in 
common,  that  instruction  is  developed  around  the 
local  industries  and  has  the  threefold  aim  of  in- 
creasing the  pupil's  attachment  to  his  trade, 
giving  him  a  better  general  education,  and  making 
him  a  worthier  citizen.  They  are  usually  or- 
ganized by  trades  and  generally  have  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  compelled  attendance  extending  to 
the  apprentice's  seventeenth  or  eighteenth  year. 

The  commercial  continuation  schools  are  or- 
ganized on  practically  the  same  plan  as  those  of 
the  industrial  type.  Besides  German  and  arith- 
metic the  major  part  of  their  instruction  is  devoted 
to  imparting  a  general  knowledge  of  business 
methods.  In  Magdeburg  this  subject  includes 
the  following  topics:  Relations  of  employers  and 
employes,  ways  of  handling  merchandise,  trans- 
mission of  money,  banking  and  exchange,  or- 

70 


EVENING   SCHOOLS   ABROAD 

ganization  of  commercial  companies,  means  for 
furtherance  of  commerce,  and  the  history  of 
commerce. 

In  the  agricultural  continuation  schools  the 
curriculum  comprises  German,  general  history, 
geography,  elementary  science,  agricultural  book- 
keeping, drawing,  mensuration,  land  surveying, 
zoology,  breeding  of  animals,  physics  and  the 
methods  of  tilling  the  soil. 

The  general  continuation  schools  give  a  course 
of  instruction  in  which  the  required  subjects  are 
German  and  arithmetic  and  the  optional  ones 
geometry,  mensuration,  drawing,  and  a  general 
knowledge  of  history,  geography  and  science. 
They  endeavor  to  extend  the  knowledge  already 
gained  in  the  elementary  schools  and  to  lay  the 
foundations  for  the  pupil's  success  as  a  worker 
and  a  citizen.  These  schools  are  attended  more 
generally  in  the  rural  districts  and  the  smaller 
cities.  They  formed  at  one  time  the  most  im- 
portant branch  of  Germany's  continuation  system 
but  the  present*  trend  is  toward  schools  of  the 
industrial  and  commercial  types.  This  is  due  to 
the  increased  specialization  and  growth  in  the  in- 
dustries and  to  the  realization  that  further  school- 
ing, if  it  would  appeal  to  working  boys,  must  be 
related  to  their  chief  interest,  and  give  them 
greater  efficiency  in  their  practical  life. 

The  course  of  instruction  in  the  continuation 
schools  varies  in  length  from  two  to  four  years  for 
boys  and  from  one  to  three  years  for  girls.  Classes 

71 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

are  held  from  two  to  six  hours  a  week,  Sundays 
and  half-holidays  being  used  as  well  as  the  week- 
day evenings.  Sunday  instruction  is  not  per- 
mitted to  occur  during  the  hours  of  divine  wor- 
ship, and  the  tendency  is  now  to  change  the  class 
periods  so  far  as  possible  to  the  daytime  and  to 
provide  separate  quarters  for  the  continuation 
education.  In  Leipzig  each  trade  class  is  divided 
into  two  sections,  according  to  the  year  of  ap- 
prenticeship, one  of  which  attends  on  one  day 
and  the  other  on  a  different  day,  and  thus  the 
shops  are  not  entirely  depleted  of  apprentices  at 
one  time.  In  Zittau  the  locksmiths'  classes  at- 
tend on  Monday  from  one  to  four  p.  m.,  the 
butchers'  from  two  to  five  and  the  other  trades  on 
their  days.  Attendance  upon  continuation  schools 
in  1908  was  compulsory  in  twenty-two  out  of  the 
twenty-six  states  which  make  up  the  German 
Empire;  in  half  of  the  twenty-two  the  regulation 
was  a  state  law  and  in  the  others  a  local  by-law. 

The  council  of  a  continuation  school  is  usually 
made  up  of  (i)  a  member  of  the  town  council, 
or  in  the  smaller  towns  the  burgomaster,  (2)  the 
director  of  the  school,  and  (3)  representatives  of 
those  chambers  of  commerce  and  trade  guilds  of 
master  workmen  which  contribute  towards  its 
support.  In  most  states  no  special  training  is 
required  by  the  teachers  the  majority  of  whom  are 
secured  from  the  elementary  schools;  in  the  large 
cities,  however,  the  positions  requiring  technical 
skill  are  filled  so  far  as  possible  with  men  who  have 

72 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

had  practical  experience  with  the  subject  they 
are  to  teach. 

FRANCE 

The  number  of  different  classes  held  and  the 
kinds  of  courses  given  in  the  "adult"  evening 
schools  of  Paris  at  the  opening  of  the  term  in 
October,  1909,  are  shown  in  the  following  table: 

Course  of  Instruction  Classes  for 

Men       Women 

Elementary,  ist  year 84 

2nd  year 24 

Commercial,  ist  year 35          21 

2nd  year 27          16 

Advanced  commercial 7  i 

Freehand  drawing 45  5 

Mechanical  drawing 34 

Singing 22          12 

Technical  course. . 


Total 291         107 

Number  of  school  buildings  used 109          45 

The  subjects  taught  are  as  follows: 
Elementary  course,  ist  year. — Ethical  and 
civic  instruction  by  means  of  conversation  and 
reading;  reading  and  writing;  four  fundamental 
operations  with  numbers;  metric  system;  ap- 
plications of  arithmetic  to  everyday  life;  French 
language;  history  of  France  in  modern  times 
(conversations,  recitations  and  reading);  geog- 
raphy of  France  and  the  Department  of  the 
Seine. 

Elementary  course,  2nd  year. — More  advanced 
work   in    the    same   subjects   and    in    addition 

73 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

familiar  talks  on  elementary  science  and  hygiene; 
domestic  science  and  principles  of  dress-cutting 
(for  women),  and  elementary  notions  of  political 
economy  and  legal  usage.  The  history  work 
traces  the  development  of  France  from  the  be- 
ginning down  to  modern  times;  and  geography 
is  extended  to  cover  the  subject  in  general  be- 
sides giving  a  more  particular  treatment  of  the 
products  of  France  and  her  colonies  from  an 
economic  point  of  view. 

Commercial  course,  ist  year. — Penmanship; 
practical  arithmetic;  bookkeeping  and  commer- 
cial arithmetic;  stenography  and  typewriting 
(for  girls);  commercial  geography  (for  youths); 
French  grammar  and  composition;  modern  lan- 
guages. 

Commercial  course,  2nd  year. — More  advanced 
work  in  the  same  courses  except  that  French  is 
dropped  and  the  following  subjects  are  added: 
business  correspondence;  elementary  law;  politi- 
cal economy. 

Commercial  course,  advanced. — Above  courses 
continued  and  the  following  taken  up:  algebra; 
commercial  law;  composition  of  reports  and  busi- 
ness papers;  French,  rhetoric,  and  translations 
into  modern  languages. 

Drawing. — Freehand  and  mechanical  drawing; 
decorative  design;  architectural  drawing;  model- 
ing; practical  geometry  and  perspective;  his- 
tory of  art. 

Technical  course. — Workshop  practice;  plane 
74 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

geometry;  solid  geometry;  descriptive  geometry; 
technology;  machine  drawing. 

All  courses  begin  in  October.  The  primary 
classes  end  the  last  of  March;  the  commercial 
term  ends  May  31  and  the  others  the  last  of  June. 
While  these  classes  are  labeled  "cours  d'adultes" 
the  elementary  and  commercial  courses  are  also 
attended  by  boys  and  girls,  usually  over  fourteen 
years  of  age.  For  entrance  to  the  commercial 
classes  pupils  are  required  to  furnish  a  certificate 
as  evidence  of  the  completion  of  the  elementary 
day-school  course  or  pass  an  equivalent  examina- 
tion. Those  under  fourteen  are  admitted  only 
by  certificate. 

The  hours  for  those  classes  attended  mainly  by 
adults  are  from  eight  to  ten  every  evening  of  the 
week  except  Saturday.  The  drawing  classes, 
however,  meet  either  two,  five  or  six  times  a  week 
while  the  singing  comes  only  twice.  The  technical 
classes  are  open  five  evenings  and  there  is  also 
work  in  the  shops  from  eight  to  eleven  on  Sunday 
mornings.  The  young  people's  hours  are  from 
7:30  to  9:30  every  evening  except  Saturday. 
Tuition  for  all  courses  is  free  and  their  maintenance, 
which  comes  from  the  municipal  budget,  requires 
an  annual  appropriation  of  some  340,000  francs 
(about  $65,620).  The  instructors  are  drawn 
mainly  from  the  day  schools. 

In  the  commercial  courses  certificates  are  given 
to  those  pupils  who  pass  the  terminal  examina- 
tions, and  the  names  of  the  successful  students  are 

75 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

published  by  the  school  authorities  and  by  them 
sent  to  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  to  the 
principal  banking  and  commercial  houses. 

Technical  classes  for  apprentices,  held  from  five 
to  seven  p.  m.,  have  been  organized  in  several  pub- 
lic schools  of  Paris.  The  instruction  is  given  by 
artisan  teachers  and  consists  mainly  of  lessons  in 
geometry,  physics,  chemistry,  applied  electricity 
and  industrial  drawing.  In  connection  with  this 
work  the  manual  training  rooms  of  the  public 
schools  are  used  for  shop  practice  on  Sunday 
mornings  from  eight  to  eleven  o'clock.  The 
classes  are  divided  into  sections  according  to  the 
trades  of  the  pupils,  and  the  fundamental  aim  of 
the  instruction  is  to  give  a  knowledge  of  the 
scientific  principles  underlying  their  respective 
industries.  On  Thursdays  the  government  in- 
spector gives  the  artisans  in  charge  a  lesson  in 
drawing,  mechanics  or  geometry,  and  further  pre- 
pares them  for  the  work  of  instruction. 

Before  closing  this  account  mention  should  be 
made  of  the  important  service  which  is  rendered 
the  laboring  people  by  numerous  associations  de- 
voted to  the  promotion  of  popular  education  in 
all  parts  of  France.  Under  their  auspices  courses 
in  a  large  variety  of  subjects  are  held  either  even- 
ings or  Sunday  mornings,  to  which  admission  is 
usually  free.  The  instruction  is  given  volun- 
tarily by  professors  who  frequently  receive  no 
compensation.  In  Paris  the  city  government  not 
only  puts  the  school  edifices  at  their  disposal  but 

76 


EVENING    SCHOOLS    ABROAD 

frequently  relieves  them  of  the  expense  of  illumina- 
tion and  accords  them  periodical  subventions  in 
considerable  amounts. 

Among  the  more  prominent  of  these  societies 
are  the  Association  Polytechnique  and  the  As- 
sociation Philotechnique  (a  branch  of  the  former) 
which  support  classes  in  typography,  steam  en- 
gineering, embroidery,  dressmaking,  millinery, 
cutting  out  for  tailors,  strength  and  texture  of 
materials  and  other  trade  subjects.  They  hold 
lectures  for  their  teachers  and  organize  readings, 
visits  to  workshops  and  museums,  excursions  and 
traveling  scholarships  for  the  study  of  modern 
languages  for  their  students.  The  Societe  d'En- 
seignement  Moderne  divides  its  classes  into  sec- 
tions which  devote  themselves  to  the  study  of 
colonial  questions,  music,  automobiles,  stenog- 
raphy, etc.  The  Union  Francaise  de  la  Jeun- 
nesse  has  a  building  section,  a  shooting  section, 
classes  in  hygiene  and  first  aid,  and  also  organizes 
lectures  and  visits  to  manufactories.  The  Societe 
Nationale  pour  la  Propagation  des  Langues 
Etrangeres  holds  conversation  classes  and  or- 
ganizes international  correspondence  and  travel- 
ing scholarships.  There  are  also  many  other 
associations  offering  classes  for  the  "education  of 
the  people"  but  these  are  the  chief  ones  which 
utilize  public  school  buildings  in  Paris. 


77 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

REFERENCES 

JONES,  ARTHUR  J.:  The  Continuation  School  in  the  United  States. 
Bulletin  of  Bureau  of  Education,  No.  i,  1907.  (Contains  an  ex- 
tensive bibliography.) 

LAVERGNE,  F.:  Les  Ecoles  et  les  Oeuvres  Municipales  d'Enseigne- 
ment.  P.  Mouillot,  13  quai  Voltaire,  Paris,  France,  IQOO. 

SADLER,  M.  E.,  AND  OTHERS:  Continuation  Schools  in  England  and 
Elsewhere:  Their  place  in  the  Educational  System  of  an  In- 
dustrial and  Commercial  State.  (Contains  extensive  lists  of 
authorities.)  University  Press,  Manchester,  England,  1908 
Demy  8vo,  pages  xxvi,  779.  Price,  8s.  6d.  net. 

See  also  the  reports  and  evening  school  prospectuses  published  by 
the  education  committees  of  the  cities  of  Nottingham,  Manchester, 
Leeds,  Halifax,  St.  Helens,  Bootle,  and  Widnes,  England;  the  annual 
reports  of  the  English  Board  of  Education  (Wyman  &  Sons,  Ltd., 
Fetter  Lane,  E.  C.,  London;  price  7d.);  the  prospectuses  of  the  Lon- 
don County  Council  evening  schools  (Education  Offices,  Victoria 
Embankment,  W.  C.,  London);  the  annual  reports  of  the  directors  of 
education  for  the  cities  of  Berlin,  Breslau,  Diisseldorf,  Leipzig,  Magde- 
burg, Munich,  Posen,  and  Zittau;  and  the  pamphlets  on  evening 
schools  by  the  Direction  de  I'Enseignement  Primaire,  Prefecture  de  la 
Seine,  Paris. 


IV 

THE    PROMOTION    OF    ATTENDANCE    AT 
EVENING  SCHOOLS 


CHAPTER  IV 

THE    PROMOTION  OF   ATTENDANCE 
AT  EVENING    SCHOOLS 

PUBLICITY 

4  *  ^  •  ^  H  E  man  who  gets  the  more  responsible  po- 
sition, the  bigger  pay  envelope,  and  the 
-*-      opportunity  to  work  when  many  others 
are  hit  by  the  panic,  is  usually  the  man  who  is  best 
trained.     .    .    . 

Do  You  Know 

that  by  spending  three  evenings  each  week  in 
evening  classes  you  can  prepare  yourself  to  fill 
your  present  position  better  and  a  better  position 
presently?  ...  It  costs  you  nothing  today; 
may  mean  fortune  tomorrow.  The  school  au- 
thorities are  waiting  for  your  application. 
Make  It  Now" 

These  are  some  of  the  remarks  on  a  circular 
announcing  the  annual  opening  of  the  Evening 
High  School  which  was  widely  distributed  in  the 
offices,  stores  and  shops  of  Pittsburgh.  It  also 
displays  a  picture  of  the  youthful  Abraham  Lin- 
coln stretched  out  on  the  floor  practicing  composi- 
tion on  the  blade  of  a  wooden  shovel  in  the  light 
of  the  open  fire.  Above  it  are  the  words:  Your 
6  81 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Chance  Will  Come;  Get  Ready.  Another  illus- 
tration shows  a  class  of  mechanical  draftsmen 
Learning  to  Draw  what  the  legend  underneath 
describes  as  A  Larger  Salary.  Information  is 
given  about  the  date  of  registration,  class  hours, 
tuition,  books  loaned  to  residents,  and  the  courses 
of  instruction.  The  subjects  are  printed  on  the 
back  of  an  addressed  postcard.  To  receive  an 
application  blank  the  recipient  needs  only  to 
check  those  subjects  in  which  he  is  interested, 
inscribe  address,  affix  stamp  and  mail. 

The  inauguration  in  1907  of  evening  sessions  in 
this  school  was  the  occasion  of  an  impressive 
public  meeting,  at  which  addresses  were  delivered 
by  the  mayor,  the  chancellor  of  the  University  of 
Pittsburgh,  the  director  of  the  Carnegie  Technical 
Schools  and  the  president  of  the  Central  Board  of 
Education.  The  newspapers  devoted  columns  of 
space  to  the  meeting  and  their  editorial  writers 
dwelt  upon  its  great  importance.  The  organizers 
of  the  school  expected  about  300  pupils  but  when 
the  applications  were  counted  they  numbered 
over  800. 

But  the  success  of  the  school  did  not  rest  upon 
skilful  advertising  alone.  In  organizing  it  the 
director,  Mr.  Edward  Rynearson,  had  sought  the 
advice  of  leading  educators  and  evening  high 
school  principals,  and  in  contriving  a  commercial 
course  that  should  prepare  pupils  for  busi- 
ness he  had  had  the  benefit  of  practical  sug- 
gestions contained  in  one  hundred  letters  from 

82 


ilfc,*.. 


Q 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

merchants  and  manufacturers  who  had  replied 
to  an  inquiry  on  the  subject  made  by  the  day 
department.  He  had  exercised  just  as  much 
care  to  secure  efficient  and  enthusiastic  teachers 
as  if  they  had  been  for  the  day  corps.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  Board  High  School  Committee  made 
frequent  visits  to  the  classes  and  showed  their 
appreciation  of  the  work  by  furnishing  ample  sup- 
plies and  an  adequate  equipment. 

Then  when  his  educational  machinery  was 
working  smoothly,  the  director  did  not  keep  the 
fact  hidden.  He  invited  the  principals  and 
teachers  of  the  city  schools  to  visit  the  classes. 
People  talk  about  what  they  have  seen.  Some  of 
the  evening  elementary  principals  were  so  im- 
pressed that  they  organized  classes  in  their  own 
schools  with  admission  to  the  Evening  High  as  the 
reward  for  satisfactory  work.  The  director  en- 
couraged his  own  pupils  to  talk  to  their  friends 
about  the  school.  He  sent  letters  to  employers 
telling  how  many  of  their  employes  were  regis- 
tered, pressing  them  to  visit  the  classes  and  make 
suggestions,  and  offering  to  supply  vacancies  in 
their  staffs  with  students  from  the  school.  He 
compiled  and  sent  out  a  forty-page  bulletin, 
illustrated  with  attractive  pictures  of  classes  at 
work  and  giving  interesting  descriptions  of  the 
courses  offered.  The  pictures  showed  spruce  young 
men  and  attractive  young  women,  who  in  the 
seating  were  not  segregated  by  sex  but  were 
distributed  about  the  room  in  a  natural,  informal 

83 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

manner.  Sprinkled  throughout  the  text  were 
significant  quotations  from  local  business  men 
as  well  as  celebrated  writers,  while  the  typography 
and  press  work  would  have  done  credit  to  a  pub- 
lisher's announcement  of  an  edition  de  luxe.  In 
addition,  whenever  anything  of  interest  to  the 
general  public  happened  the  director  did  not 
withhold  it  from  the  newspapers.  During  the 
year  there  were  400  additional  applications  for 
admission  to  the  school. 

The  amount  of  effective  publicity  which  can  be 
gratuitously  obtained  through  a  tactful  and  proper 
use  of  the  press  is  being  appreciated  by  an  in- 
creasing number  of  schoolmen.  Many  superin- 
tendents and  evening  school  principals  make  it  a 
practice  to  lay  aside  items  for  the  reporters. 
These  may  be  only  some  figures  on  attendance, 
an  incident  that  occurred  in  a  class  for  foreigners, 
the  professional  qualifications  of  a  new  appointee, 
the  announcement  of  a  new  course,  the  existence 
of  vacancies  in  the  typewriting  class,  or  an  anec- 
dote from  the  carpentry  shop.  The  items  may 
not  amount  to  more  than  a  paragraph  but  they 
are  more  valuable  than  a  paid  advertisement  and 
prevent  the  reporter's  visit  from  being  fruitless. 
On  opening  nights  or  on  the  anniversary  of  the 
school  the  newspaper  men  are  given  all  the  in- 
formation and  pictures  they  can  use  with  the 
result  sometimes  of  an  illustrated  "write-up" 
which  carries  information  about  the  advantages 
of  the  school  to  thousands  who  would  not  other- 

84 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

wise  be  reached.  Many  school  authorities  hold 
exhibitions  and  graduation  exercises  especially 
for  the  evening  classes  and  no  small  part  of  the 
value  of  these  occasions  is  due  to  the  publicity 
thus  effected. 

The  use  of  circulars  to  attract  pupils  to  evening 
schools  is  quite  general.  In  London  attractive 
posters  are  extensively  put  out  and  notices  are 
published  in  the  newspapers.  New  York  blazons 
the  buildings  where  evening  schools  are  held  with 
conspicuous  bulletins  and  illuminated  signs  an- 
nouncing the  classes  within.  Paid  advertise- 
ments inserted  in  the  local  foreign  papers  have 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  large  numbers  of 
immigrants  to  the  evening  classes  held  in  Buffalo, 
Trenton  and  a  number  of  other  cities. 

The  Jersey  City  Board  authorized  two  lectures 
in  Italian  which  were  given  in  a  school  building 
for  the  purpose  of  attracting  pupils.  The  results 
were  gratifying  but  it  was  felt  that  the  most 
effective  way  of  increasing  the  enrollment  of 
foreigners  lay  in  securing  the  co-operation  of 
progressive  citizens  of  alien  birth.  In  Cleveland 
there  is  a  Hungarian  manufacturer  who  sends 
large  numbers  of  his  compatriot  workmen  to  the 
evening  schools.  The  Auburn  report  for  1908 
says,  ''The  gratifying  increase  in  enrollment  of 
non-English  speaking  men  as  compared  with 
former  years  was  partly  due  to  the  hearty  co- 
operation of  leading  employers  of  the  city  in  ad- 
vertising the  school  and  encouraging  attendance 

85 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

on  the  part  of  their  employes,  and  partly  to  the 
good  influences  of  representative  men,  both 
American  and  foreign  born,  in  urging  attendance 
as  a  means  of  preparing  for  the  more  exacting 
requirements  as  to  naturalization  in  the  interests 
of  better  citizenship."  In  Jamestown,  New  York, 
the  prominent  Swedes  exert  a  constant  influence 
upon  the  incoming  Scandinavians  to  make  them 
use  the  night  classes,  while  another  large  group 
composed  of  Albanians  has  been  persuaded  to 
attend  through  the  co-operation  of  the  home 
missionaries. 

* 

FOLLOWING  UP  DAY  PUPILS 

The  gathering  into  evening  classes  of  the  boys 
and  girls  who  have  left  the  day  schools  receives 
systematic  attention  in  many  cities  of  England. 
In  Nottingham  it  is  incumbent  upon  the  head 
teachers  of  the  elementary  schools  to  send  to  the 
central  office  "a  monthly  return  showing  names, 
addresses,  etc.,  of  scholars  who  have  left  for  work 
during  the  month."  Circulars  are  then  sent  to 
these  pupils  inviting  them  to  attend  the  evening 
classes.  In  Manchester  the  invitation  is  followed 
up  by  personal  visits  from  the  head  teacher  of  the 
appropriate  evening  school  or  of  a  clerk  from  the 
central  office.  "If,"  says  Professor  Sadler,  "a 
boy  does  not  come  after  being  asked  the  first 
time,  he  is  called  upon  again  and  not  allowed  to 
rest  until  all  efforts  are  obviously  in  vain."  The 
London  County  Council  asks  its  Children's  Care 

86 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT   EVENING   SCHOOLS 

Committee  (composed  usually  of  the  managers 
of  the  various  groups  of  schools)  to  use  its  "per- 
sonal influence"  in  this  matter  and  to  "impress 
upon  the  parents  the  great  importance  of  their 
children  continuing  their  education  after  leaving 
day  schools,  and  of  entering  for  a  two  or  three 
years'  course  at  evening  classes."  To  prevent  the 
loss  of  studious  habits  which  so  often  follows  an 
interval  out  of  school  many  English  committees 
offer  free  tuition  for  one  session  to  all  pupils  who 
enter  the  evening  classes  immediately  after  leav- 
ing the  day  school. 

ATTRACTIONS 

The  gymnasiums  of  several  schools  in  Cincinnati 
are  used  evenings  by  classes  for  each  sex  which  are 
directed  by  competent  instructors  in  physical 
training.  A  chorus  held  in  the  capacious  audi- 
torium of  an  elementary  school  is  attended  largely 
by  students  from  the  night  high  school  though  all 
adults  with  musical  ability  are  admitted.  In 
Buffalo  and  several  other  cities  the  instruction 
for  foreigners  includes  the  singing  of  patriotic 
songs,  which  is  much  enjoyed,  especially  by  the 
Italians.  The  Lawrence  teachers  give  their  immi- 
grant pupils  the  opportunity  of  making  at  Christ- 
mastime baskets,  calendars  and  other  articles  for 
gift  purposes  just  as  is  done  in  the  day  schools. 

The  presence  of  drilling,  physical  exercises  and 
singing  in  the  Nottingham,  England,  programs 
has  already  been  shown  (see  pages  55-64).  The 

87 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

introduction  of  these  lighter  and  more  enjoyable 
elements  has  been  largely  due  to  the  work  of  the 
Recreative  Evening  Schools  Association  which 
was  formed  in  the  eighties  through  the  efforts 
of  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Paton  of  Nottingham  and  under 
the  presidency  of  the  Princess  Louise.  Its  early 
work  consisted  in  providing  singing,  music,  drill, 
and  handwork  in  connection  with  the  continua- 
tion schools  established  by  the  state;  but  since 
the  amendment  of  the  Evening  School  Code- 
brought  about  mainly  by  the  Association — in  order 
to  include  recreative  subjects  and  a  more  ob- 
jective method  of  teaching,  it  has  confined  itself 
to  promoting  the  establishment  of  evening  schools 
and  to  encouraging  the  authorities  to  make  the 
instruction  attractive  and  recreative  as  well  as 
useful. 

In  many  of  the  English  evening  schools  a  half 
hour  before  or  after  the  classes  is  spent  by  the 
pupils  in  reading  illustrated  papers  or  other  pleas- 
ant literature  and,  in  some  cases,  in  playing  games. 
Sometimes  they  are  trained  to  give  an  entertain- 
ment which  is  attended  by  their  parents  and 
friends,  and  occasionally  the  school  authorities 
arrange  monthly  lectures  on  popular  subjects. 
In  some  of  the  London  schools,  social  gatherings 
are  held  once  a  month  on  evenings  when  classes 
are  not  in  session,  and  the  feeling  of  fellowship 
thus  generated  is  of  considerable  influence  in 
attracting  pupils  and  in  holding  them  together. 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE   AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 
CO-OPERATION  OF  EMPLOYERS 

A  Buffalo  firm  during  a  recent  winter  advanced 
the  deposits  required  for  registration  and  text- 
books, and  paid  the  carfare  of  those  of  their 
employes  who  attended  the  night  high  school. 
In  Boston  during  the  season  of  1909-10  several 
large  commercial  houses  joined  with  the  School 
Committee  in  holding  "continuation"  classes  for 
their  employes.  The  instruction  covered  the 
production  and  sale  of  leather  and  dry  goods 
articles.  The  class  in  the  latter  subject  met  on 
Mondays  and  Thursdays  from  three  to  five  o'clock 
and  that  on  the  shoe  and  leather  business  on 
Tuesday  and  Friday  afternoons.  The  employes 
were  allowed  to  attend  without  loss  of  pay.  The 
leather  course,  which  at  the  time  of  writing  has 
just  closed,  attained  a  success  beyond  the  expecta- 
tions of  the  organizers. 

The  systematic  manner  in  which  the  assistance 
of  employers  is  sought  in  England  is  indicated  by 
the  following  from  the  1909  report  of  the  Leeds 
Education  Committee:  "A  circular  has  been 
issued  to  the  large  employers  of  labour  in  Leeds 
asking  for  their  co-operation,  and  indicating  some 
of  the  means  adopted  by  employers  in  other  towns 
to  encourage  their  younger  employes  to  continue 
their  general  education  and  obtain  a  grasp  of  the 
principles  underlying  their  trade/' 

As  an  illustration  of  the  "means"  used  in  Eng- 
land, that  employed  by  a  firm  in  Bootle  may  be 

89 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

mentioned.  It  compels  all  of  its  girls  who  have 
not  passed  the  seventh  standard  to  attend  a  con- 
tinuation class,  while  the  others  are  stimulated 
to  do  likewise  by  the  payment  of  their  tuition  fees, 
by  prizes,  and  by  the  personal  efforts  of  a  social 
secretary  who  gives  her  whole  time  to  the  super- 
vision of  their  welfare.  Any  boy  who  wishes  to 
attend  a  continuation  school  has  his  tuition  paid 
and  is  excused  from  work  when  it  conflicts  with 
the  class-hour.  In  addition  the  head  chemist 
holds  classes  at  the  works  in  practical  dyeing. 
Attendance  at  these  is  voluntary  but  nearly  all  the 
male  employes  complete  the  course,  which  includes 
practical  as  well  as  theoretical  instruction.  In 
the  same  city  several  construction  firms  either 
pay  the  tuition  fees  of  their  boys,  or,  if  the  latter's 
attendance  is  satisfactory,  repay  half  the  fees  to 
the  boys'  parents. 

Professor  Sadler's  book  reports  the  case  of 
a  large  alkali  company  in  Widnes  which  "makes 
it  a  condition  that  all  apprentices  between 
fourteen  and  eighteen,  whether  bound  by  inden- 
ture or  not,  shall  attend  classes  on  three  evenings 
in  the  week,  their  fees  being  paid  by  the  company. 
Apprentices  over  eighteen  will  then  be  allowed  to 
compete  for  scholarships  entitling  them  to  attend 
day  technical  classes  on  two  afternoons  without 
loss  of  wages  and  at  the  company's  expense. 
The  other  manufacturers  have  followed  this  ex- 
ample. In  the  case  of  the  shopkeepers  the  situa- 
tion is  not  so  favourable.  They  appear  to  be  quite 

90 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE   AT   EVENING   SCHOOLS 

willing  that  their  errand  boys  should  go.  but  do 
not  always  succeed  in  releasing  them  in  time. 
The  better  boys,  however,  will  not  stay  at  shops 
where  their  attendance  is  habitually  prevented/' 

The  enforcement  of  the  attendance  of  appren- 
tices at  evening  classes  in  Widnes  was  due  chiefly 
to  the  influence  of  a  large  firm  in  Northwich  which 
inaugurated  the  system  two  decades  ago.  When 
it  first  put  the  compulsory  rule  into  effect  there 
was  trouble  in  the  class  rooms  and  "some  of  the 
unwilling  ones  threw  things  about  to  the  subver- 
sion of  discipline."  The  firm  then  summoned  the 
parents  to  a  meeting,  informed  them  that  it  would 
employ  no  boy  who  did  not  regularly  attend  eve- 
ning classes,  and  recommended  that  they  impress 
upon  their  sons  the  fact  that  the  matter  was  "no 
joke"  but  a  regulation  which  the  firm  had  deter- 
mined to  carry  out.  After  that  there  was  no 
further  difficulty  and  "it  is  now  a  very  popular 
arrangement  both  with  pupils  and  parents." 
A  director  of  the  firm,  in  a  paper  read  at  a  con- 
ference between  the  local  employers  and  the 
Education  Committee,  stated  that  "Since  1905 
apprentices  who  had  a  good  record  of  three  years 
evening  school  attendance  at  the  Winnington 
Park  Schools  or  other  similar  evening  classes  have 
been  given  instruction  in  the  afternoons  two  days  a 
week  in  the  Verdin  Technical  School  without  any 
deduction  from  their  wages.  There  are  now 
twenty-four  apprentices  in  the  first  year's  and 
nineteen  in  the  second  year's  course.  This  atten- 

9' 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

dance  forms  part  of  the  week's  work  of  the  appren- 
tices. The  attention  of  apprentices  to  their  work 
is  remarkable.  From  ninety  to  one  hundred  per 
cent  is  the  record  of  their  attendance  at  the  school 
and  absences  are  almost  all  accounted  for  by 
sickness/'  The  system  was  begun  as  a  matter 
of  business,  not  philanthropy,  and  is  regarded 
as  successful  by  the  firm. 

The  results  of  an  inquiry  among  English  rail- 
way and  industrial  companies  reported  by  Pro- 
fessor Sadler  showed  that  about  half  of  those  who 
replied  give  their  apprentices  and  pupils  free  time 
to  attend  technical  classes  during  the  day.  Four- 
teen out  of  sixteen  of  the  railroads  "either  give 
direct  assistance  toward  fees  or  contribute  to  the 
expenses  of  the  classes,  so  that  their  employes 
may  attend  them  either  free  or  at  very  low  fees. 
In  one  case  the  wages  of  the  best  apprentices  are 
increased  upon  the  combined  reports  of  the  Master 
of  the  technical  classes  and  the  superintendent 
of  the  workshops/'  Among  engineering,  ship- 
building and  industrial  concerns  it  was  found  that 
ten  out  of  the  thirty-four  firms  reporting  "grant 
special  facilities  for  attendance  at  evening  classes. 
These  take  the  form  of  (i)  excuse  from  overtime 
work  on  the  night  of  the  class;  (2)  permission  to 
leave  work  early  on  class  nights;  (3)  permission 
to  come  to  work  late  one  morning  in  the  week  if  so 
many  classes  are  attended.  Help  in  the  matter  of 
class  fees,  or  other  similar  inducements  to  attend 
classes,  are  offered  by  twenty-four  out  of  the 

92 


PROMOTION    OF  ATTENDANCE  AT   EVENING  SCHOOLS 

thirty-four  firms,  the  privileges  being  sometimes 
confined  to  apprentices  and  pupils,  sometimes 
extended  to  all  employes.  The  assistance  given 
takes  various  forms: 

(1)  Fees  paid  without  any  condition. 

(2)  Fees  paid  in  cases  of  necessity. 

(3)  Fees  refunded   (generally  on  condition  of 
satisfactory  attendance  and  examination). 

(4)  Increase  of  wages  and  access  to  drawing 
office. 

(5)  Payment  for,  or  loan  of,  books,  instruments 
and  drawing  materials. 

(6)  Scholarships,  prizes,  etc." 

An  investigation  of  the  practice  among  Ameri- 
can railway  corporations  made  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  apprentices  of  the  New  York  Central 
lines  showed  that  apprentices  are  paid  to  attend 
schools  in  thirteen  companies  while  fifteen  make 
attendance  compulsory.  On  thirteen  railroads 
classes  are  held  during  working  hours  and  on  five 
in  the  evening.  The  New  York  Central  and  several 
other  lines  carry  on  this  instruction  under  regular 
shop  conditions  within  their  works. 

CO-OPERATION  OF  TRADE  ORGANIZATIONS 

The  Master  Plumbers'  Association  of  Springfield, 
Massachusetts,  has  voluntarily  agreed,  in  employ- 
ing help,  to  give  preference  to  the  members  of  the 
plumbing  classes  in  the  Evening  School  of  Trades 
of  that  city.  In  Cleveland  the  Sheet  Metal  Trades 
Association,  a  branch  of  the  Builders'  Exchange, 

93 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

has  reverted  to  a  system  of  apprenticeship  which 
requires,  among  other  conditions,  the  attainment 
of  a  diploma  from  the  Evening  Technical  High 
School.  The  association  pays  the  fee  and  re- 
quires its  pupils  to  attend  regularly.  The  Inter- 
national Molders'  Union  has  resolved  that  "we 
hereby  recommend  all  local  unions  to  take  such 
steps,  wherever  practicable,  as  will  enable  the 
apprentice  to  take  a  course  in  this  study  (technical 
knowledge  of  trade  including  mechanical  drawing), 
and,  as  a  further  inducement,  to  pay  a  reasonable 
tuition  fee  for  him,  where  such  tuition  cannot  be 
obtained  free." 

In  England  certain  branches  of  the  Northern 
Counties  Weavers'  Association  have  for  many 
years  encouraged  the  attendance  of  their  younger 
members  at  technical  classes  through  rewards 
and  the  payment  of  tuition.  The  trade  unions  of 
Switzerland  are  allowed  to  arrange  practical 
courses  for  journeymen  which  receive  government 
support. 

The  account  of  the  Munich  continuation  schools 
contained  in  Professor  Sadler's  book  says  that 
"if  a  trade  guild  exists,  it  is  asked  to  co-operate 
in  the  formation  and  maintenance  of  the  Sunday 
and  evening  technical  schools.  It  has  the  right 
to  suggest  suitable  teachers  to  give  instruction 
in  those  branches  of  the  curriculum  which  are 
concerned  entirely  with  trade  matters.  The 
members  of  the  committee  of  any  such  trade 
organization  have  the  right,  after  giving  due 

94 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT    EVENING   SCHOOLS 

notice  to  the  head  of  the  school,  to  be  present  at 
the  instruction  and  to  make  any  recommendations 
they  deem  necessary.  But  these  privileges  carry 
duties  with  them.  The  trade  guild  is  pledged 
to  support  the  efforts  of  the  school  by  urging  its 
members  to  avail  themselves  of  the  facilities 
afforded  and  by  providing  models  for  use  in  the 
instruction.  The  trade  guild  meets  the  cost  of 
the  materials  for  practical  work  and  places  at  the 
disposal  of  the  school  any  objects  which  may  be 
useful  for  teaching  purposes/'  The  contributions 
to  the  technical  continuation  schools  of  Munich 
from  industrial  associations  in  1908  amounted  to 
10,326  marks  ($2,581.50). 

In  view  of  the  greatly  increased  attendance  at 
public  evening  instruction,  which  it  is  expected  will 
be  the  result  of  a  more  perfect  understanding  be- 
tween the  school  authorities  and  organized  labor, 
it  is  pertinent  here  to  note  the  signs  of  their 
gradual  rapprochement.  That  the  members  of 
workingmen's  organizations  believe  in  further 
education  is  evidenced  by  their  support  in  Eng- 
land of  Ruskin  College  at  Oxford  and  of  the  Work- 
ers' Educational  Association  and  in  France  by 
the  5000  apprenticeship  classes  which  have  been 
opened  by  the  "Syndicats"  and  "Bourses  du 
Travail." 

A  similar  interest  in  this  country  is  demon- 
strated by  the  recent  action  of  eight  national 
labor  unions  which  have  undertaken  to  afford 
their  members  further  training  in  their  respective 

95 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

crafts.  The  special  committee  on  industrial  edu- 
cation appointed  by  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor  goes  on  record  in  its  recent  report  as  follows: 
"The  economic  need  and  value  of  technical  train- 
ing is  not  to  be  disregarded,  and  cognizance  should 
be  taken  of  the  fact  that  throughout  the  civilized 
world  evening  and  part-time  day  technical  schools 
enroll  twenty  pupils  to  every  one  who  attends  the 
other  types  of  vocational  schools.  And  the  com- 
mittee submits  for  consideration  and  discussion  to 
the  convention  the  proposition  that  there  be 
established,  at  public  expense,  technical  schools 
for  the  purpose  of  giving  supplemental  education 
to  those  who  have  entered  the  trades  as  apprentices." 

These  words  have  been  italicized  by  the  writer 
because  they  tell  explicitly  the  kind  of  evening 
instruction  desired  by  the  unions  and  the  class  of 
pupils  to  whom  it  should  be  given.  The  sort  of 
instructors  they  favor  is  also  told  by  implication 
in  a  statement  made  about  the  school  established 
by  the  International  Typographical  Union.  "It 
is  administered  by  printer-tutors  who  have  never 
been  afflicted  with  pedagogical  cramp,  and  never 
expect  to  be.  .  .  ."  Farther  on  the  report,  in 
connection  with  the  day  industrial  schools  for 
pupils  from  fourteen  to  sixteen  which  it  favors, 
recommends  that  "in  order  to  keep  such  schools 
in  close  touch  with  the  trades  there  should  be 
local  advisory  boards,  including  representatives 
of  the  industries,  employers  and  organized  labor." 

Anticipating  some  of  these  demands  New  York 
96 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT    EVENING   SCHOOLS 

enacted  in  1908  a  law  providing  for  the  establish- 
ment of  industrial  and  trade  schools  under  the 
control  of  local  boards  of  education  which,  how- 
ever, are  to  have  the  benefit  of  counsel  from  an 
advisory  board  representing  the  local  trades  and 
industries.  The  system  under  which  they  are 
organized  is  to  be  flexible  enough  to  accommodate 
pupils  who  can  attend  (i),days,  (2)  part-time 
days,  and  (3)  evenings  only.  Concerning  the 
character  of  the  instruction  to  be  afforded  the 
latter  class,  the  above-named  report  interprets  the 
purposes  of  the  New  York  state  authorities  as 
follows:  "The  department  finds  the  urgent  need 
for  evening  trade  and  technical  classes  for  better- 
ing the  opportunities  of  men  and  women  already 
employed  in  industrial  occupations  during  the 
day.  One  of  the  most  important  services  which 
can  be  rendered  by  existing  schools  that  have 
shop  and  laboratory  facilities  is  to  offer  such 
opportunities  through  practical  courses  of  evening 
instruction.  In  general,  these  schools  should  be 
of  every  kind  for  which  there  is  a  demand  on  the 
part  of  the  people.  The  system  should  be  exceed- 
ingly flexible.  The  school  should  be  taught  by 
workmen  who  can  teach,  rather  than  by  teachers 
who  have  theories  about  work.  The  instruction 
should  be  'shoppish'  rather  than  'bookish/  al- 
though of  course  bookwork  is  always  desirable/' 
In  agreement  with  the  demand  for  "supple- 
mental technical  instruction"  the  New  Jersey 
Commission  on  Industrial  Education  brought  in  a 

97 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

report  in  1909  favoring  "industrial  improvement 
schools/' 

The  action  of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor 
in  appointing  an  influential  committee  to  formu- 
late and  express  its  views  upon  the  subject  of 
industrial  education,  coming  in  addition  to  the 
growing  disposition  of  the  school  authorities  to 
furnish  whatsoever  instruction  the  masses  of  the 
people  want,  proves  the  prophetic  character  of  the 
writer  who  said,  "The  educationist  who  would 
estimate  the  forces  of  the  future,  would  be  wrong 
if  he  omitted  the  trade  unions.  .  .  ." 

MAKING  THE  INSTRUCTION  MORE  PRACTICAL 

"We  should  also  be  pleased  to  have  you  suggest 
how  we  can  make  this  school  fit  your  needs  better 
than  it  does  at  present.  We  want  to  have  the  course 
of  studies  stripped  to  its  fighting  clothes."  These 
statements  from  a  circular  letter  addressed  by  the 
director  of  the  Pittsburgh  Evening  High  School  to 
employers,  in  connection  with  an  invitation  to 
visit  the  classes,  illustrate  the  attitude  of  a 
growing  number  of  American  schoolmen.  In 
Buffalo  it  was  discovered  that  there  was  a  demand 
for  instruction  in  cooking,  sewing  and  millinery, 
and  courses  in  these  subjects  were  inaugurated  at 
once  with  the  consequence  of  a  remarkable  growth 
in  the  attendance.  In  Brockton  also,  as  well  as 
in  several  other  cities,  "the  courses  are  deter- 
mined largely  by  the  demands  of  the  pupils." 

The  Boston  school  committee  in  charge  of  the 
98 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT    EVENING   SCHOOLS 

leather  and  dry  goods  classes  already  mentioned, 
has  the  assistance  of  an  advisory  committee  repre- 
senting the  commercial  houses.  The  eminently 
practical  character  of  the  instruction  administered 
under  such  a  combination  can  be  seen  from  the 
study  of  the  following  list  of  subjects  included  in 
the  dry  goods  course:  fibers,  cotton  and  cotton 
goods,  wool,  worsteds,  woolens,  silk  and  silk 
fabrics,  linen  and  linen  fabrics.  The  recognition 
and  comparison  of  mixed  fabrics  are  taught  the 
pupils  as  well  as  simple  tests  for  determining 
quality,  and  facts  about  coloring  materials,  color 
preservation,  shrinkage,  mercerization,  and  non- 
inflammable  fabrics.  They  are  also  trained  in 
the  care  of  stock,  in  commercial  arithmetic,  geog- 
raphy, correspondence,  and  efficient  salesman- 
ship. 

In  the  London  County  Council  evening  system 
"there  is  a  consultative  committee  of  employers 
to  each  section  of  the  trade  schools,  who,  as 
experts,  advise  on  matters  concerning  the  techni- 
cal instruction,  and  the  superintendents  will  give 
full  particulars  concerning  the  work  of  their 
respective  schools."  In  Leeds  also,  to  put  the 
technical  schools  in  touch  with  practical  needs, 
"Trade  Advisory  Sub-Committees  have  been 
established  to  co-operate  in  developing  the  various 
trade  and  craft  classes  at  the  schools."  Such 
committees  are  common  in  English  night  school 
systems.  The  presence  of  representatives  of 
chambers  of  commerce  and  trade  guilds  on  the 

99 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

councils  of  the  German  continuation  schools  has 
already  been  stated. 

The  regard  for  practical  instruction  which 
characterizes  the  selection  of  teachers  for  the 
English  schools  is  illustrated  in  the  following  in- 
stance reported  by  Mr.  Jones  in  his  bulletin  on 
The  Continuation  School.  "In  Montrose,  Mr. 
Strong's  method  of  obtaining  teachers  is  worthy  of 
note.  One  principal  difficulty  has  been  in  securing 
teachers  who  understand  both  the  practical  and 
the  theoretical  sides  of  the  work.  Being  unable  to 
secure  such  a  teacher  for  his  class  in  plumbing 
with  the  salary  available,  he  effected  a  combina- 
tion by  which  the  theoretical  side  was  given  by 
the  regular  day  teacher  of  science,  while  the 
practical  side  was  given  by  a  master  plumber. 
In  order  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  the  plumbers 
in  the  city,  and  at  the  same  time  secure  the  best 
man  for  the  work,  Mr.  Strong  called  a  meeting  of 
all  the  master  plumbers,  explained  what  he  wished 
to  accomplish  in  the  plumbing  class,  and  then 
asked  them  to  recommend  some  one  of  their 
number  for  the  place.  This  they  did,  and  the  one 
recommended  was  appointed.  The  same  plan 
will  be  adopted  in  the  case  of  the  cabinet-makers/' 

COMPULSION 

"The  State  Attendance  Law  provides  that 
boys  who  leave  school  without  completing  the 
elementary  course  of  study  must  attend  evening 
school  until  an  equivalent  course  has  been  covered. 

100 


PROMOTION    OF    ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

It  further  provides  that  employers  are  liable  to 
prosecution  and  fine  if  after  due  notice  they  con- 
tinue to  employ  boys  who  are  not  complying  with 
this  law.  The  increase  in  attendance  of  evening 
school  pupils  this  winter  amounting  to  thirty-four 
per  cent  is  due  in  a  large  measure  to  the  enforce- 
ment of  this  law/'  This  statement  appears  in  the 
1907-08  annual  report  of  the  superintendent  of 
education  for  the  city  of  Buffalo. 

The  Massachusetts  law  which  exercises  the 
most  potent  effect  upon  evening  school  attendance 
reads  as  follows:*  "While  a  public  evening  school 
is  maintained  in  the  city  or  town  in  which  any 
minor  who  is  over  fourteen  years  of  age  and  who 
does  not  have  a  certificate  signed  by  the  superin- 
tendent of  schools,  or  by  the  school  committee, 
or  by  some  person  acting  under  authority  thereof, 
certifying  to  the  minor's  ability  to  read  at  sight 
and  write  legibly  simple  sentences  in  the  English 
language,  resides,  no  person  shall  employ  him 
and  no  parent,  guardian  or  custodian  shall  permit 
him  to  be  employed  unless  he  is  a  regular  attend- 
ant at  such  evening  school  or  at  a  day  school." 

Immigrants  in  Massachusetts  are  most  affected 
by  the  provisions  of  this  law,  and  in  the  mill  towns 
where  they  are  found  in  large  numbers  school 
superintendents  make  systematic  efforts  to  get 
them  into  the  evening  classes.  In  Lowell  it  is 
customary  for  a  representative  of  the  school  de- 
partment to  visit  each  mill  and  give  certificates, 

*  Revised  Laws  of  1902,  Chapter  106,  Section  35. 

101 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

exempting  from  attendance,  to  all  foreigners  who 
can  read  and  write  English.  The  plan  is  a  con- 
venience to  the  employes  because  it  saves  them 
the  trouble  of  going  to  the  City  Hall  after  certifi- 
cates. It  pleases  the  employers  because  it  facili- 
tates the  discharge  of  their  responsibilities  arising 
from  the  employment  of  illiterate  minors,  and  it 
is  worth  the  trouble  to  the  school  department 
because  through  these  means  pupils  who  cannot 
read  and  write  English  are  discovered  and  they 
help  to  swell  the  enrollment  in  the  evening  classes. 
The  commanding  position  which  Massachusetts 
occupies  in  respect  to  the  proportion  of  its  urban 
population  who  attend  evening  school  is  shown  in 
the  following  table,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  but 
that  its  illiterate  minors'  law  is  a  factor  in  pro- 
ducing such  a  satisfactory  showing. 

ATTENDANCE  AT  PUBLIC  EVENING  SCHOOLS  IN  CITIES 
OF  8,000  AND  OVER 

Pop.  in  Cities  of 

8,000  and  Over,         Average  Nightly  Per 

State  Census  of  1900        Attendance  1908-9  Cent 

Massachusetts  .  .2,162,830  27,830  1.28 

New  York 5,028,178  54>99*  1.09 

New  Jersey M97»7&3  1 1>§99  -97 

Connecticut 5 18,266  3>5°°  -67 

Illinois 2,300,602  1 1,480  .49 

That  the  application  of  legal  pressure  to  require 
young  people  to  continue  at  school  for  a  longer 
period  than  they  otherwise  would  is  more  and 
more  occupying  the  minds  of  superintendents  is 
evident  from  their  reports.  The  advocacy  of  an 

102 


FRENCH  CANADIANS  OF  LOWELL.  MASS. 


CLASS  OF  GREEK   BOYS  IN  LOWELL 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

extension  of  the  compulsory  requirements  by  the 
Cincinnati  superintendent  has  already  been  men- 
tioned. In  his  1908  report  Dr.  Poland  of  Newark 
devotes  twelve  pages  to  a  discussion  of  compulsory 
education  legislation  in  the  course  of  which  he  sum- 
marizes the  most  important  statutory  provisions 
enacted  by  twenty-nine  of  the  more  progressive 
states.  In  framing  compulsory  legislation  he 
believes  that  it  is  unwise  to  ignore  "  the  possibili- 
ties offered  by  evening  schools, "  and  as  topics  for 
discussion  in  this  connection  he  suggests  several 
requirements  which  might  be  incorporated  in  a 
law  of  this  character.  The  most  significant  of 
these  for  our  purpose  is  the  following:  "A  pro- 
vision that  will  enable  children  who  must  go  to 
work  to  support  the  family  at  the  age  of  fourteen 
or  fifteen  years,  to  attend  evening  schools  and 
thereby  fulfill  the  requirements  of  the  law.  This 
will  compel  districts  to  provide  suitable  evening 
schools,  a  want  not  less  imperative  than  that  of 
providing  suitable  day  high  schools  or  day  manual 
training  schools." 

In  the  exhaustive  work  on  continuation 
schools  to  which  reference  has  been  so  frequently 
made  Professor  Sadler  has  included  chapters 
treating  of  the  compulsory  enactments  and  their 
operation  in  both  Germany  and  the  United  States. 
He  also  devotes  a  long  chapter  to  the  discussion 
of  the  question  "Should  Attendance  at  Continua- 
tion Schools  be  made  compulsory  in  England?" 
which  winds  up  with  the  following  statement: 

103 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT  , 

"  But  I  am  convinced  that  in  the  end  some  form 
of  compulsion  to  attend  day  or  evening  continua- 
tion classes,  between  fourteen  and  seventeen  years 
of  age,  will  be  found  desirable,  not  so  much  in  the 
interest  of  the  picked  individuals  as  in  that  of  the 
rank  and  file.  Many  of  the  present  evils  of  un- 
employment may  be  traced  to  the  lack  of  educa- 
tional care  and  of  suitable  technical  training  dur- 
ing the  critical  years  of  adolescence.  Compulsion, 
however,  should  be  accompanied  by  reduction  in 
the  hours  of  juvenile  and  adolescent  labour  where 
those  are  now  excessive/' 

The  account  of  the  Munich  continuation  schools 
is  followed  by  the  answers  which  Dr.  Georg  Ker- 
schensteiner,  the  director  of  the  schools,  made  to 
some  inquiries  upon  the  workings  of  the  compul- 
sory law  in  his  city.  The  fame  which  these 
schools  have  achieved  in  the  educational  world  and 
the  vital  points  Dr.  Kerschensteiner  touches  upon 
in  his  replies  justify  the  extent  to  which  he  is 
quoted  below: 

"The  question,  as  to  whether '  compulsory  or 
voluntary  continuation  schools  are  preferable, 
has,  after  a  struggle  of  many  years'  duration,  been 
decided  in  favour  of  the  compulsory  system  in 
nearly  the  whole  of  Germany,  at  least  for  young 
people  up  to  the  age  of  sixteen,  seventeen  or 
eighteen  years.  All  the  largest  towns  in  Germany 
have  now  such  compulsory  continuation  schools. 
The  compulsory  system  affects  not  the  scholar 
alone  but  above  all  the  master-workman  who  em- 

104 


PROMOTION    OF    ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

ploys  him.  If  there  is  no  compulsion,  many 
capable  boys  and  girls,  keenly  desirous  of  self  im- 
provement, are  prevented  from  attending  con- 
tinuation schools  through  the  carelessness  or  greed 
of  their  employers.  Moreover,  unless  the  law 
enforces  a  wider  course  of  training,  most  of  the 
scholars  take  advantage  only  of  the  technical 
training  afforded  and  neglect  the  courses  bearing 
on  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  the  individual 
to  the  state  and  to  his  fellows. 

"Compulsory  attendance  is  as  necessary  for 
girls  as  for  boys;  indeed,  for  girls  it  is  really  more 
necessary.  Care  should  be  taken  that  no  girl 
goes  out  into  the  world  inadequately  equipped 
for  the  duties  which  are  likely  sooner  or  later  to 
devolve  upon  her  as  mother  and  housewife.  As 
things  are  at  present,  most  girls  have  to  go  out  to 
earn  their  living  at  an  early  age.  If  attendance  at 
the  continuation  school  is  not  compulsory,  a  girl 
is,  in  many  cases,  prevented  from  receiving  the 
training  which  is  of  the  greatest  value  for  her 
future  duties. 

"In  Munich  attendance  is  compulsory  (i)  for 
boys  up  to  the  eighteenth,  (2)  for  girls  up  to  the 
sixteenth  year. 

"  By  means  of  strict  school  attendance  regu- 
lations the  attendance  of  domestic  servants  of 
every  kind  is  assured  in  Bavaria.  Every  girl 
has  to  attend  a  continuation  school  for  at  least 
three  hours  per  week  until  she  has  attained  her 
sixteenth  birthday.  In  case  of  her  absence  without 

105 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

adequate  excuse,  the  parents  and  the  employers 
are  punished. 

"Business  people  and  employers  in  general  no 
longer  complain  in  any  way  of  the  compulsory 
continuation  school  system.  Many  regard  it  as  a 
burden,  it  is  true,  but  those  who  are  liberal-minded 
feel  that  it  is  a  burden  which  ought  to  be  borne. 
Speaking  generally,  public  opinion  among  em- 
ployers, workpeople  and  apprentices  alike  is 
entirely  favourable  to  the  compulsory  continua- 
tion schools.  The  apprentices  especially  approve 
the  system  because  the  schools  are  grouped  ac- 
cording to  trades.  Their  appreciation  of  the 
system  is  proved  by  the  fact  that  a  large  number 
of  them  continue  to  attend  the  schools  voluntarily 
when  their  period  of  compulsory  attendance  is 
over." 

Regarding  the  effect  of  enforced  attendance 
upon  discipline  the  director  says:  "The  reorgani- 
zation of  the  continuation  schools  has  not  caused 
the  slightest  difficulty  in  regard  to  school  attend- 
ance. The  greatest  interest  is  taken  by  the  pupils 
in  the  various  classes.  Of  course,  there  are 
always  some  lazy  ones,  but  the  general  interest 
in  the  work  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  there  have 
never  been  fewer  absences  without  excuse  than 
during  the  last  five  years. 

"In  general,  there  is  no  need  of  regulations  to 
enforce  attendance.  The  pupils  come  willingly 
and  gladly.  If  a  scholar  does  play  truant,  he  is 
made  to  appear  before  the  Education  Authority 

1 06 


PROMOTION    OF   ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

(Schulbehorde)  and  cautioned.  If  the  offense  is 
repeated  a  money  fine  is  imposed,  and,  if  need  be, 
the  offender  is  imprisoned/' 

As  to  the  danger  of  physical  overstrain  coming 
from  compulsory  attendance  Dr.  Kerschensteiner 
replies:  "The  continuation  schools  (at  any  rate 
those  established  in  Munich,  or  those  which  exist 
in  most  of  the  Prussian  towns)  impose  no  new 
burden  on  the  apprentice.  Attendance  is  re- 
quired during  the  working  day  from  7  a.  m.  to 
7  p.  m.  In  Munich  the  apprentices  come  between 
7  and  9  a.  m.  or  between  i  and  7  p.  m.  There  is 
no  instruction  after  7  p.  m.  Many  trades  accord 
a  complete  day  for  the  attendance  of  apprentices 
at  the  continuation  school." 

REWARDS  FOR  REGULARITY 

On  account  of  "continued  attendance  and  in- 
dustry" thirty-one  students  in  1909  were  granted 
"free  places"  in  the  evening  courses  at  the  Leeds 
University.  This  is  an  instance  of  the  English 
practice  already  mentioned  in  the  account  of  the 
Nottingham  schools  of  awarding  prizes  for  regu- 
larity in  attendance  and  homework,  and  success  in 
the  final  examinations.  Sometimes  these  rewards 
are  called  "exhibitions"  which  consist  of  grants  of 
money  for  books  or  instruments.  Thus  in  1909 
thirty-six  senior  exhibitions  ranging  in  value  from 
10  to  15  shillings  and  196  junior  exhibitions 
worth  from  2s.  6d.  to  js.  6d.  were  awarded  evening 
school  students  in  Leeds.  The  satisfactory  char- 

107 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

acter  of  the  attendance  in  the  evening  schools  of 
this  city  is  indicated  by  the  figures  for  1906-07. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  session  there  were  3954 
students,  at  the  eighth  week  5869,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  term  5733.  That  these  results  were  due 
primarily  to  the  system  of  prize-giving  is  unlikely, 
but  that  it  had  some  influence  in  holding  the 
pupils  throughout  the  course  is  quite  certain. 

ADMINISTRATIVE  MEANS  OF  PRESERVING  ATTENDANCE 

The  Milwaukee  classes  were  at  one  time  held 
four  evenings  a  week.  In  1907  they  were  changed 
to  three  sessions.  At  the  same  time  the  hours, 
which  had  been  7:30  to  9  : 30,  p.  m.  became  7  to  9, 
though  only  those  students  who  wished  personal 
help  from  the  teachers  were  obliged  to  be  present 
before  7:30,  at  which  time  the  class  work  began. 
These  changes  produced  a  more  satisfactory  at- 
tendance. In  New  York  City  the  class  hours  have 
recently  been  changed  from  7:30109:30  p.  m.  to 
a  half  hour  later  at  the  beginning  and  ending  of 
the  period  (8  to  10)  in  order  to  make  it  more 
convenient  for  the  pupils,  many  of  whose  shops 
and  factories  are  far  from  their  homes. 

The  systematic  following-up  of  absentees  which 
is  practiced  by  many  successful  directors  of 
evening  schools  is  well  illustrated  in  Lowell. 
Here  a  printed  postal  sent  by  the  principal  to  the 
parent,  guardian  or  employer  of  the  delinquent 
pupil,  gives  notice  of  the  latter's  absence  and 
asks  that  the  addressee's  influence  be  used  to 

1 08 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT    EVENING  SCHOOLS 

secure  greater  regularity  in  attendance.  Another 
postal  sent  out  by  either  principal  or  teacher  goes 
to  the  pupil,  and  reminds  him  of  the  writer's  in- 
terest in  him  and  the  educational  opportunity  he 
is  losing,  and  expresses  the  hope  that  he  will 
continue  his  attendance.  A  third  card  has  spaces 
where  the  teacher  fills  in  the  number  of  attend- 
ances each  week  and  others  where  the  parents 
may  place  their  signatures  when  the  pupil  takes  it 
home.  This  form  is  used  only  in  the  case  of  those 
pupils  whose  parents  express  a  wish  to  be  kept  in- 
formed regarding  the  attendance  of  their  children. 
In  Halifax,  England,  the  head  teacher  is 
obliged  to  report  all  absences  to  the  Central  Office 
and  at  the  same  time  to  give  the  reasons.  This 
means  that  all  absentees  are  inquired  after,  and 
possibly  visited,  by  the  teacher.  Cases  of  con- 
tinued absence  are  also  written  to  by  the  Office. 
Manchester  has  introduced  a  system  of  guarantors 
whereby  each  pupil  admitted  free  to  the  evening 
school  is  obliged  to  furnish  a  form  signed  by  some 
responsible  person,  preferably  the  employer,  who 
guarantees  the  value  of  the  tuition  remitted  if 
the  student  fails  to  attend  satisfactorily.  A  simi- 
lar regulation  covering  the  admission  of  students 
to  the  New  York  evening  high  schools  reads  as 
follows:  "Pupils  under  twenty-one  years  of  age 
will  be  required  to  furnish  the  principal  of  the 
school  with  a  recommendation  from  their  em- 
ployers or  other  responsible  persons  to  the  effect 
that  it  is  the  intention  of  these  pupils  to  continue 

109 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

in  the  course  for  which  they  have  registered,  until 
the  end  of  the  year." 

The  application  blank  used  by  the  students 
entering  the  Pittsburgh  evening  high  school  con- 
tains a  place  for  the  signature  of  the  employer. 
In  a  letter  sent  to  business  men  along  with  circu- 
lars to  be  distributed  among  their  employes,  the 
director,  explaining  the  request  for  the  employer's 
signature,  says,  "While  this  is  not  necessary  it  may 
make  the  applicant  feel  that  you  are  interested  in 
him  and  that  you  have  an  opportunity  to  find 
out  the  quality  of  work  he  does  in  his  studies/' 

Six  out  of  the  nine  replies  received  from  school 
superintendents  in  answer  to  an  inquiry  as  to  the 
reasons  for  the  unusually  high  percentage  of  at- 
tendance maintained  in  their  evening  classes,  men- 
tioned the  system  of  deposits  as  one  of  the  prom- 
inent conditions  of  their  success.  No  other  reason 
was  named  so  often  as  this  one.  The  usual  de- 
posit in  elementary  classes  is  f  i.oo,  which  is  re- 
turned if  the  pupil  attends  three-quarters  of  the 
time.  In  Auburn  a  pupil  can  be  absent  only  one- 
fifth  of  the  time  and  get  his  dollar  back.  For 
every  absence  over  that  he  loses  ten  cents.  In 
the  Cleveland  Technical  High  School  there  is  a 
tuition  fee  of  $7.50  of  which  $2.50  is  rebated 
for  85  per  cent  or  better  of  perfect  attend- 
ance. Jamestown  has  had  good  results  with  a 
registration  fee  of  $2.00  which  is  not  returned. 
The  Los  Angeles  evening  high  school  charges 
tuition  and  reports  that  "a  very  marked  improve- 
no 


PROMOTION    OF  ATTENDANCE  AT   EVENING  SCHOOLS 

ment  is  noted  in  the  personnel  of  the  school  since 
we  began  to  charge  fees/'  In  his  1909  report  Dr. 
Maxwell  repeats  his  "recommendation  made  in 
former  years  that  the  Board  of  Education  should 
establish  a  small  charge,  say  $5.00  in  high  schools 
and  $2.00  in  elementary  schools,  for  material 
consumed,  or  else  require  students  to  deposit 
these  sums  to  be  repaid  to  them  at  the  close  of  the 
term  upon  condition  of  regular  attendance.  To 
carry  out  this  recommendation  it  has  been  found 
that  a  change  in  the  law  will  be  necessary/' 

Five  of  the  letters  received  in  the  inquiry  men- 
tioned above  attributed  the  regularity  of  attend- 
ance, among  other  causes,  to  an  able  and  experi- 
enced staff  of  instructors.  Superintendent  Henry 
P.  Emerson  of  Buffalo  said:  "We  employ  the 
most  skilful  teachers,  those  who  have  the  faculty 
of  adapting  the  instruction  to  the  various  needs 
of  the  pupils  and  who  can  interest  the  least  am- 
bitious. The  first  few  weeks  is  the  critical  period. 
A  large  number  of  pupils  find  the  effort  greater 
and  the  work  harder  than  they  had  expected. 
They  should  be  encouraged  to  attend  classes  even 
if  unprepared  to  take  part  in  recitations  until  they 
are  well  under  way/'  The  reorganization  of  the 
Philadelphia  evening  classes  and  the  selection 
of  teachers  from  an  eligible  list,  referred  to 
in  a  previous  chapter,  not  only  resulted  in  a 
notable  financial  economy  but  raised  the  average 
attendance  from  52  per  cent  to  67  per  cent. 

The  excellent   attendance  obtained   in    Leeds 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

has  already  been  noticed.  The  principal  reason 
for  it  given  in  Professor  Sadler's  book  is  as  follows: 
"The  success  of  the  teaching,  however,  is,  I  think, 
due  not  so  much  to  the  choice  of  teachers,  as  to 
the  fact  that  Evening  School  teaching  is  recognized 
in  Leeds  as  a  special  art,  requiring  special  prepara- 
tion. Special  courses  for  evening  teachers  are 
held  by  highly  qualified  instructors  in  English, 
arithmetic,  and  experimental  mathematics,  me- 
chanical laboratory  work,  commercial  geog- 
raphy, commercial  arithmetic,  and  commercial 
practice  and  bookkeeping,  with  the  object  of 
helping  actual  or  intending  teachers  in  evening 
schools  to  gain  both  the  necessary  knowledge,  and, 
what  is  equally  important,  the  right  methods  of 
imparting  it.  These  courses  have  been  vigorously 
taken  up,  and  have  introduced  into  the  evening 
teaching  a  wider  outlook  and  less  stereotyped 
methods." 

The  custom,  based  upon  administrative  neces- 
sity, which  obtains  in  New  York  and  many  other 
cities  of  closing  classes  when  the  attendance  falls 
below  an  average  of  twenty  (in  Cleveland  the 
number  is  fifteen)  acts  many  times  as  a  spur 
upon  the  teacher  and  causes  him  to  exert  every 
effort  to  interest  and  to  hold  the  class. 

ORGANIZING  THE  INSTRUCTION 

In  American  cities  it  is  noticeable  that  where  the 
evening  schools  are  in  the  most  flourishing  con- 
dition the  instruction  has  been  organized  into 

I  12 


PROMOTION  OF  ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING  SCHOOLS 

courses  which  lead  to  graduation  and  a  diploma, 
and  in  the  elementary  classes  to  a  higher  school. 
In  England,  where  systematization  has  in  some 
instances  been  carried  to  an  even  higher  degree,  a 
decided  effect  upon  the  attendance  has  been 
noticed  following  the  introduction  of  the  course 
system.  An  increase  is  not  always  immediate; 
sometimes  there  is  a  falling  off  with  a  correspond- 
ing gain  in  the  quality  of  the  students.  But  in- 
stances like  the  following,  which  is  set  forth  in 
the  1908-09  report  of  the  national  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, are  not  uncommon:  "Thus. in  an  impor- 
tant Lancashire  County  Borough,  the  year  in 
which  the  course  system  was  adopted  saw  an 
immediate  increase  in  the  number  of  men  students 
in  the  evening  schools  of  the  town  from  1161  to 
1 1 80  (after  a  decrease  in  the  preceding  year 
under  the  old  system  from  1278  to  1161).  The 
second  year  of  the  course  system  showed  a  further 
increase  from  n  80  to  1356.  At  the  same  time 
the  percentage  of  students  who  left  the  school 
before  the  end  of  the  six  months'  course  fell  from 
55  per  cent  in  the  last  year  of  the  old  systern  to 
26  per  cent  in  the  first  year  of  the  adoption  of 
the  course  system,  and  in  the  second  year  of  that 
system  fell  again  to  21.8  per  cent." 

In  conclusion,  it  would  seem  that  the  most 
significant  word,  from  the  standpoint  of  attend- 
ance, which  has  come  to  the  surface  in  the  exam- 
ination of  the  various  evening  school  systems,  is 
organisation.  Germany  offering  less  technical 
8  1,3 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

instruction  than  England  has  the  better  attend- 
ance because  she  has  organized  the  getting  of 
pupils.  With  less  than  half  our  population 
England  and  Wales  have  an  attendance  at  public 
night  schools  more  than  twice  that  of  the  United 
States,  because  their  national  and  local  govern- 
ments are  organized  more  definitely  for  the  ad- 
ministration of  evening  education.  Massachusetts 
leads  the  other  states  because  she  has  systematized 
her  treatment  of  illiterate  minors,  and  because  her 
school  boards  have  more  consciously  faced  the 
matter  of  evening  instruction  and  organized  sub- 
committees to  provide  for  it. 


114 


V 
VACATION  SCHOOLS 


CHAPTER  V 

VACATION    SCHOOLS 

ONE  hot  July  morning  I  visited  a  school 
house  down   in   New  York's  East  Side. 
The  streets  were  so  full  of  people,  push- 
carts and  wagons  that  it  was  difficult  to  make 
one's  way.    The  iron  fire-escapes,   jutting  out 
from    the    tenements,  were    hung  with  trailing 
sheets    and    soggy    pillows.     Here    and  there  a 
woman  lolled  in  a  window,  to  catch  a  moment's 
respite  from  the  suffocation  of  her  apartment. 

Passing  through  a  small  yard  I  entered  a  stone 
building  and  found  myself  in  a  long,  cool  corridor 
where  a  woman  in  fresh  summer  attire  was  giving 
some  directions  to  a  mother  holding  a  child  by 
the  hand.  Upon  my  expressing  a  desire  to  look 
through  the  building,  she  smiled  and  led  the  way. 
We  had  not  gone  far  before  the  buzz  of  many 
voices  and  the  sounds  of  hammering  and  sawing 
were  heard.  Entering  a  class  room  we  came  upon 
a  group  of  boys  working  at  benches  with  hammer, 
chisel  and  fret-saw.  They  were  so  busy  over  the 
brackets,  key  racks  and  wisp-broom  holders  they 
were  making  that  many  of  them  did  not  even  look 
up.  The  instructor  was  entirely  engrossed  with  the 

"7 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

difficulty  a  pupil  was  having  with  a  joint,  and  it 
was  easy  to  see  that  matters  of  discipline  gave 
him  no  trouble.  In  the  next  room  boys  were 
caning  chairs,  most  of  which  had  been  brought 
from  home.  The  bottoms  they  were  putting  in 
were  as  even  and  tight  as  the  original  ones.  In 
another  room  boys  and  girls,  scattered  about  in 
little  groups,  were  sitting  on  benches  and  desk-tops 
weaving  baskets.  When  they  got  into  difficulties 
or  needed  new  material  they  went  for  help  to  the 
teacher,  who  herself  occupied  a  desk-top  in  the 
front  part  of  the  room.  A  class  in  Venetian  iron- 
work bent  wrought-iron  strips  into  pen  racks  and 
candlesticks.  The  work  was  being  done  in  an 
ordinary  class  room,  and  each  desk  was  protected 
by  a  board  securely  clamped  to  and  covering  its 
top. 

There  were  classes  of  girls  learning  to  sew,  and 
upon  a  line  strung  along  the  wall  were  displayed 
the  handkerchiefs,  aprons  and  petticoats  already 
made.  In  another  class  each  member  was  making 
a  real  dress  for  herself.  In  one  of  the  rooms 
girls  were  twisting  thread-wound  wire  into  hat 
frames,  while  some,  more  advanced,  were  trimming 
the  hat  frames  they  had  previously  constructed. 
Embroidery  engaged  the  attention  of  another 
group.  Down  in  the  domestic  science  kitchen  a 
large  class  of  girls,  many  of  them  foreigners,  was 
learning  to  cook,  and  in  the  model  dining  room 
across  the  hall  my  guide  and  I  were  served  with 
delicious  lemonade  and  wafers.  The  kindergarten 

118 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

rooms  were  crowded  with  little  boys  and  girls, 
many  of  whom  had  brought,  and  were  keeping  a 
watchful  eye  out  for,  baby  brothers  and  sisters. 
These  little  tots  did  not  seem  to  bother  either 
teacher  or  pupils,  the  marching,  singing  and 
paper-cutting  going  on  just  as  if  they  had  not 
been  there. 

Only  one  class  was  occupied  with  book  work. 
It  contained  mainly  pupils  who  had  failed  in  the 
June  examinations  and  who  were  studying  in  the 
hope  of  making  up  their  deficiencies  in  time  to  go 
on  with  their  classes  in  September.  A  smaller 
number  were  studying  elementary  subjects  with  a 
view  to  completing  the  number  of  days  of  school 
work  required  to  secure  the  certificate  which 
permits  them  to  go  to  work.  A  still  smaller 
number  were  endeavoring  through  this  summer 
study  to  jump  ahead  of  their  classes  and  thus 
to  hasten  the  day  of  graduation. 

The  June  examinations  were  barely  over.  The 
compulsory  attendance  law  was  not  in  operation. 
Yet  here  were  700  children  coming  regularly 
to  school  every  morning.  The  principal,  as  well 
as  most  of  her  thirteen  assistants,  had  just  finished 
a  hard  year  in  regular  day-school  work.  She 
had  reports  to  make  and  an  organization  to  keep 
in  smooth  operation.  The  work  of  each  teacher 
was  subject  to  the  inspection  of  a  sharp-eyed 
supervisor.  No  school  regulations  or  professional 
advantages  compelled  these  men  and  women  to 
do  this  summer  work,  and  yet  they  were  giving 

119 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

up  six  weeks  of  their  summer's  rest  and  staying 
in  the  hot,  expensive  city  when  they  could  have 
been  in  the  mountains  or  at  the  seashore;  neither 
would  they  have  taught  day-school  classes  for  as 
little  money  as  they  received  for  this  work. 

There  were  twenty-eight  other  schools  in  New 
York  and  some  sixty  other  cities  in  the  United 
States  where  teachers  were  likewise  spending  their 
vacations  in  the  class  room  for  merely  nominal 
wages  and  in  some  instances  for  no  compensation 
at  all.  There  were  over  9,000  other  boys  and 
girls  in  New  York,  and  in  the  whole  country 
hundreds  of  thousands,  maintaining  a  regularity 
of  attendance  at  school,  during  the  hot  season 
and  under  no  compulsion,  that  would  have  been 
quite  respectable  during  the  regular  term. 

The  explanation  of  it  was  clear  that  morning 
in  the  East  Side  school.  The  boys  were  so  busy 
making  things,  putting  themselves  into  broom- 
holders,  brackets,  candlesticks,  that  represented 
their  ability  which  they  could  show  to  others, 
— they  were  so  intent  on  all  this  that  it  did 
not  occur  to  them  to  annoy  their  neighbors  or  the 
teacher.  The  girls  were  so  occupied  in  learning 
how  to  make  dresses  and  hats  that  they  forgot 
to  talk  loudly  or  laugh  boisterously.  When  the 
teacher  helped  them  over  a  difficult  step  in  their 
work  their  faces  gleamed  with  gratitude;  when 
she  gave  some  general  directions  they  all  listened 
intently.  On  entering  school  their  countenances 
reflected  the  satisfaction  felt  at  home  over  the 

120 


A  SUMMER  OCCUPATION  IN  NK\V  YORK 


THEY  CAME  BECAUSE  THEY  WANTED  To 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

fact  that  they  were  neither  in  the  street  nor  under 
foot  in  the  house  impeding  the  work  that  had  to 
be  done.  Aside  from  the  joy  of  making  things, 
the  children  were  glad  to  escape  from  their  hot 
stuffy  apartments  into  the  cool,  well  ventilated 
school  rooms.  In  a  word,  both  teachers  and  pupils 
were  happy  because  they  were  doing  what  they 
liked  to  do.  Teachers  taught  and  pupils  attended 
this  school  because  it  was  a  "school  of  play/' 

Whether  one  considers  this  highly  developed 
New  York  vacation  school  or  the  one  which  some 
woman's  club  in  a  small  city  has  just  started, 
the  essential  characteristics  are  the  same.  For 
both  teacher  and  pupil  the  vacation  school  affords 
the  occupation  of  their  choice  and  one  which, 
making  small  demands  upon  the  head,  satisfies 
the  heart  and  fills  the  hands. 

ACTIVITIES  FOUND  IN  VACATION  SCHOOLS 


Most  Common 

Basketry 

Common 

Iron  work 

Least  Common 

Paper  work 

Sewing 

Raffia 

Dancing 

Woodwork 

Reed  work 

Leather  work 

Cooking 

Household  arts 

Burnt  wood 

Sloyd 

Physical  training 

Shoemaking 

Kindergarten 

Excursions 

Gardening 

Drawing 

Chair  caning 

Stencil  cutting 

Cardboard  work 

Clay  modeling 

Picture  study 

Nature  study 

Millinery 

First  aid 

Singing 

Embroidery 

Nursing 

Games 

Story  telling 

Toy  making 

Dressmaking 

Knitting 

Academic  work 

121 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

This  list  represents  a  composite  of  the  subjects 
taught  and  the  kinds  of  work  given  in  a  dozen 
different  cities.  They  are  set  down  in  the  order 
of  frequency  with  which  they  are  found.  No  one 
school  system  affords  them  all. 

In  most  schools  a  pupil  receives  instruction  in 
no  more  than  two  subjects  during  a  daily  session. 
Cambridge  gives  its  boys  a  choice  between  sloyd 
and  basketry  while  the  girls  may  take  either 
basketry  or  cooking  and  sewing.  At  one  time 
the  two-hour  sloyd  period  in  Cambridge  was 
divided  between  sloyd  and  drawing.  1 1  was  found, 
however,  that  the  boys  were  averse  to  the  drawing 
and  it  was  omitted.  With  the  two  hours  given 
entirely  to  sloyd  the  boys  are  now  able  to  finish 
more  articles  and  their  interest  is  greatly  aug- 
mented. In  St.  Louis  pupils  are  divided  into 
groups  according  to  their  rank  in  the  regular  day 
school. 

CLASS  GROUPS  IN  ST.  Louis  VACATION  SCHOOLS 

Group  Grade  in  Elementary  School 

Kindergarten  Kindergarten 

Primary  I  and  II 

Intermediate  III,  IV  and  V 

Advanced  Classes  VI,  VII  and  VIII 

The  activities  of  the  vacation  kindergartens 
are  the  same  as  those  carried  on  during  the  regular 
school  term.  The  primary  boys  and  girls  have 
games,  sewing,  drawing,  raffia  and  reed  work. 
The  girls  of  the  intermediate  and  the  advanced 

122 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

grades  take  lessons  in  housekeeping,  which  for 
the  oldest  ones  include  instruction  in  cooking. 
The  boys  of  these  two  grades  are  taught  bent  iron 
work  and  wood  carving  and  the  oldest  ones 
manual  training.  Twenty  minutes  of  singing 
and  story  telling  open  the  session,  after  which 
follow  four  recitation  periods  of  forty  minutes 
each.  Manual  training,  housekeeping  and  cook- 
ing each  have  a  period  of  one  hour  and  twenty 
minutes. 

Games  are  introduced  for  both  educational  and 
social  purposes.  The  instructor  teaches  the  chil- 
dren how  to  play  checkers,  dominoes,  parchesi, 
backgammon,  authors,  geographical  games  (dis- 
sected maps  and  card  games  of  countries,  cities, 
manufactures,  products  and  races),  games  of 
the  names  of  great  persons,  presidents,  battles, 
historical  places  and  epochs,  indoor  baseball, 
charades,  guessing  and  observation  games,  pris- 
oners' base,  blindman's  buff,  and  many  other 
amusements.  In  the  selection  of  these,  regard 
was  had  to  their  cheapness,  so  that  the  families 
of  the  children  would  be  able  to  buy  some  of  the 
games  learned  for  the  first  time  at  the  vacation 
schools,  for  home  amusement  during  the  long 
winter  evenings. 

The  housekeeping  course  in  the  St.  Louis 
vacation  schools  is  very  thorough.  Children  are 
taught  the  details  of  washing  (rinsing,  starching, 
blueing  and  drying),  ironing,  sweeping,  dusting, 
scrubbing,  polishing  pans,  washing  dishes,  cleaning 

123 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

windows,  setting  and  serving  a.  table,  making  a 
bed,  hanging  pictures,  the  care  of  lamps,  and  keep- 
ing the  rooms  in  order.  New  ideals  of  personal 
cleanliness  are  inculcated  through  the  daily  use 
of  the  baths  connected  with  the  school  house.  In 
Buffalo,  the  pupils  are  given  instruction  in  swim- 
ming through  the  courtesy  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
gymnasium  instructors. 

Cleveland  lays  more  emphasis  than  St.  Louis 
upon  purely  academic  work.  The  Central  high 
school  and  six  grammar  school  buildings  are 
thrown  open  for  class  work  to  aid  students  in 
making  up  studies  in  which  they  had  failed  during 
the  year.  Pupils  from  the  fifth  grade  up  are  ad- 
mitted to  these  summer  classes.  I n  Cincinnati  also 
the  summer  academic  work  is  held  in  separate  build- 
ings quite  apart  from  the  other  vacation  classes. 

The  vacation  school  work  proper  in  Cleveland 
is  carried  on  by  separate  schools  known  as  the 
kindergarten,  primary,  and  manual  training  sum- 
mer schools.  Instruction  in  the  primary  schools 
is  entirely  oral  and  embraces  the  following  exer- 
cises: story  telling,  the  teaching  of  songs  and 
poems,  games,  nature  study,  excursions  and 
light  work  in  manual  training.  The  latter  in- 
cludes plain  sewing  and  embroidery,  paper-cutting, 
weaving  and  pasting,  raffia  and  reed  work,  drawing 
and  water  coloring,  clay  modeling  and  some  con- 
structive work. 

The  time  allotted  to  the  various  subjects  is 
indicated  in  the  following  sample  program: 

124 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

DAILY  PROGRAM,  PRIMARY  SCHOOL 
Cleveland 

8:30  to    9:00  Songs,  stories  told  and  read 

by  teacher  and  children. .  .30  minutes 
9:00  to    9:30  Marches,     drills,     skipping 

games,  in  Assembly  Hall  .  .30  minutes 
9:30  to  10:30  Manual  training,  sewing,  bas- 
ket making 60  minutes 

10:30  to  10:50  Recess 20  minutes 

10:50  to  ii  :oo  Song,  short  story,  poem 10  minutes 

1 1  :oo  to  ii  :30  Occupation  work,  clay,  pa- 
per-cutting, dolls,  nature 

work,  painting 30  minutes 

1 1 30  Dismissal 

The  summer  manual  training  schools  are  at- 
tended by  boys  from  the  four  grammar  grades  and 
the  first  year  in  the  high  school.  The  course  is 
planned  on  practical  lines  and  consists  in  making 
simple  pieces  at  first  and  then  gradually  working 
up  to  such  articles  as  ironing  boards,  plate  and 
towel  racks,  book  shelves,  picture  frames,  tab- 
ourets, tables,  chairs  and  shirt-waist  boxes.  All 
the  instruction  is  given  by  thoroughly  trained 
men  and  the  schools  are  completely  equipped  with 
tools  and  benches.  White  wood  and  chestnut 
and  oak  lumber  are  provided,  and  the  pupils  are 
required  to  pay  part  of  the  cost  of  the  articles  they 
make  and  take  home. 

In  both  Cleveland  and  Pittsburgh,  the  public 
libraries  co-operate  with  the  vacation  school 

'25 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

authorities  by  sending  trained  story  tellers  who 
interest  the  children  in  good  literature  and  some- 
times distribute  books  among  them.  A  feature 
of  the  Cincinnati  work  is  a  mothers'  meeting 
held  one  afternoon  a  week  at  each  of  the  vaca- 
tion schools.  A  program  of  music  and  recitations 
is  given  by  the  children  with  the  help  of  talented 
persons  from  the  neighborhood,  and  is  followed 
by  a  social  time  at  which  flowers  are  frequently 
distributed. 

In  several  of  the  cities  the  outing  is  one  of  the 
most  enjoyable  of  the  summer  school  activities. 
In  Chicago  excursions  are  made  to  the  large  open 
areas  of  the  outer  parks  or  to  the  suburban  wood- 
lands. Sometimes  the  managers  of  resorts  grant 
concessions  ajid  the  children  are  taken  to  them. 
In  St.  Louis  and  Cleveland  the  children  are  given 
a  free  outing  every  other  week  to  one  of  the  parks, 
where  they  play  games,  pick  flowers  and  study 
nature.  Sometimes  the  Cleveland  children  are 
taken  to  the  Zoo  and  served  with  ice  cream  and 
cake.  The  expenses  of  the  outings  in  Cincinnati 
are  met  by  private  subscription.  One  Friday 
morning  the  teachers  and  children  attended  a 
concert  given  by  well-known  musicians  in  the 
Music  Hall  and  at  another  time  they  saw  the 
"Hiawatha"  play  at  the  Zoo.  In  Haverhill, 
Massachusetts,  the  children  in  company  with 
their  teachers  visit  the  rooms  of  the  historical 
society,  the  birthplace  of  Whittier,  the  beach,  or 
the  park  at  a  nearby  lake. 

126 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

In  the  New  York  vacation  schools  talks  on  city 
history  are  made  more  impressive  by  excursions 
under  the  care  of  the  teachers  to  various  historical 
places.  The  children  are  prepared  in  the  class 
room  for  the  trips,  by  being  told  what  they  are  to 
see,  and  why  it  is  significant.  Some  seasons  over 
two  hundred  excursions  are  made  to  important 
points  of  historical  interest  in  and  about  New  York. 

Some  cities  include  academic  work  with  the 
hand  work.  In  Rochester,  reading,  language  work 
and  drawing  in  color  are  taught  in  addition  to  the 
usual  subjects.  New  Orleans  also  provides  in- 
struction in  arithmetic,  geography  and  history. 
Boston  gives  the  opportunity  to  study  whatever 
book  subjects  the  pupils  demand,  and  in  some 
New  York  schools  the  foreign-born  children  are 
specially  instructed  in  English.  Previous  to  the 
recent  Hudson-Fulton  celebration  in  New  York 
one  of  the  East  Side  principals  arranged  historical 
exhibits  for  each  room  in  the  school.  They 
portrayed  the  life  on  Manhattan  from  the  time 
of  the  first  settlers  up  to  the  Revolutionary  War 
and  included  Indian  sketches,  portraits  of  the  early 
Dutch  colonists  and  pictures  showing  costumes 
and  customs. 

In  Pittsburgh,  according  to  Miss  Beulah  Ken- 
nard,  president  of  the  Playground  Associa- 
tion, the  endeavor  has  been  "  to  base  each  de- 
partment on  a  normal  play  instinct  and  to 
keep  them  spontaneous,  childlike  and  joyous, 

127 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

without  strain  and  without  self-consciousness. 
In  the  'carpenter  shops'  boys  are  given  play 
models  and  allowed  to  use  the  saw  and  plane 
like  men.  In  the  art  classes  Indian  or  war  stories 
are  illustrated  on  large  sheets  of  paper,  while  the 
girls  paint  flowers  and  birds  and  stencil  dainty 
patterns  which  they  have  themselves  designed. 
They  use  live  models  whenever  possible,  and 
parrots,  puppies,  cats,  geese  and  chickens  are 
carried  from  school  to  school,  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  children. 

"Dancing  and  rhythmic  gymnastic  exercises 
receive  much  attention,  as  the  children  do  not 
know  how  to  use  either  hands  or  feet  well.  They 
can  neither  stand  nor  walk  nor  throw  a  ball 
straight.  Classes  in  cooking  and  nursing  have 
been  fitted  in  wherever  space  can  be  found,  the 
boys  being  as  anxious  to  cook  as  the  girls.  But 
to  the  over-industrious  teachers  and  children 
one  inflexible  rule  has  been  given — 'The  play 
period  must  not  be  encroached  upon.'  Every 
teacher  has  her  game  book  and  must  learn  to 
play  if  she  has  forgotten  how." 

With  such  a  guiding  principle  it  is  not  strange 
that  the  children  should  co-operate  in  the  main- 
tenance of  order.  In  one  of  the  schools  a  basketry 
class  of  small  boys  composed  and  wrote  on  the 
blackboard  the  following  rules: 

You  must  not  sass  ihe  teacher. 
You  must  not  cbew  gum. 
128 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

You  must  not  talk  loud. 
You  must  not  break  the  rules. 

The  length  of  the  vacation  school  session  in 
most  cities  is  six  weeks.  In  a  few  the  session 
lasts  only  five  weeks.  In  one  city  it  continues 
only  four,  while  in  Cleveland  the  period  is  eight 
weeks.  The  date  of  opening  the  schools  varies 
from  a  week  after  the  end  of  the  day-school 
term  to  the  middle  of  July.  The  usual  hours  are 
from  9  to  12  a.  m.  or  8.30  to  1 1.30  a.  m.  Usually 
there  are  no  sessions  on  Saturday.  In  Cincin- 
nati there  is  no  class-work  on  Friday,  that  day 
being  devoted  to  the  weekly  excursions. 

THEIR  ADMINISTRATION 

Each  instructor  in  the  New  York  City  vacation 
schools  is  a  specialist  chosen  from  an  appropriate 
eligible  list  in  the  order  of  standing.  Details  of 
instruction  are  looked  after  by  a  supervisor  for 
each  subject  and  district  superintendents  have 
general  charge  over  the  work  of  their  respective 
districts. 

In  St.  Louis  the  conduct  and  management  of 
the  vacation  schools  is  in  the  hands  of  a  supervisor 
who,  under  the  direction  of  the  superintendent  of 
instruction,  plans  the  course  of  study  and  program 
for  each  school  and  supervises  the  work  of  the 
principal.  Each  school  has  as  many  teachers  as 
the  work  demands,  provided  that  the  quota  of 
pupils  for  each  paid  teacher  is  not  less  than  twenty- 
9  129 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

five;  and  the  supervisor  may  with  the  consent 
of  the  superintendent  of  instruction  employ  a 
limited  additional  number  of  qualified  volunteer 
teachers,  such  as  Teachers'  College  students  or 
members  of  the  senior  class  in  the  high  school. 
In  Cincinnati,  Cleveland  and  Newark  the  vaca- 
tion school  work  is  in  charge  of  a  supervisor  who 
reports  to  the  superintendent  of  schools.  These 
three  cities  employ  mainly  day-school  teachers. 
Applications  are  usually  so  numerous  that  a 
selection  can  be  made  of  those  best  fitted  for 
special  lines  of  work. 

Many  cities,  like  New  York,  Cleveland  and 
Cincinnati,  organize  their  teaching  on  the  depart- 
mental plan,  but  Newark,  whose  board  of  educa- 
tion was  the  pioneer  in  municipal  vacation  school 
work,  has  recently  abandoned  this  scheme.  There 
an  effort  is  made  to  secure  a  teacher  who  can  do  all 
of  the  work  required  in  each  grade;  it  has  been 
found  that  teachers  of  special  subjects  fail  to 
become  as  intimately  acquainted  with  their  pupils 
as  the  grade  teachers  who  are  with  their  classes 
throughout  the  session.  In  Chicago,  St.  Louis, 
Cincinnati  and  several  other  cities  there  are  many 
volunteer  workers  on  the  teaching  staff.  School 
work  relieved  of  the  trials  connected  with  disci- 
pline has  lost  its  most  forbidding  element,  while 
the  joyousness  and  satisfaction  which  pervade 
the  vacation  class  room  constitute  a  strong  appeal 
to  all  who  like  to  help  children.  In  Boston  and 
St.  Louis  it  has  been  found  that  this  work  serves 

130 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

as  an  admirable  training  for  young  people  study- 
ing to  become  teachers. 

Special  training  classes  for  teachers  desiring 
summer  school  work  are  held  in  Newark  under  the 
director  of  manual  training  and  thus  properly 
qualified  candidates  are  available  for  all  the 
positions.  In  Pittsburgh  a  teachers'  institute  is 
held  three  days  prior  to  the  opening  of  the  schools 
and  weekly  teachers'  meetings  are  conducted 
throughout  the  term.  The  superintendent  has 
also  arranged  with  the  University  of  Pittsburgh  to 
give  Saturday  courses  in  psychology,  sociology  and 
education  for  the  benefit  of  the  vacation  school 
and  playground  teachers.  In  Cincinnati  and 
several  other  cities  vacation  school  teachers  are 
organized  and  hold  meetings  throughout  the 
year. 

The  salaries  of  the  St.  Louis  teachers  for  the  term 
of  six  weeks  are  as  follows:  Supervisor,  $250; 
principal,  $80;  teacher,  $60;  assistant  teacher,  $30. 
In  Chicago  the  regular  teachers  receive  $75  for  the 
six  weeks'  term,  and  the  assistant  teachers,  $50 
and  $30.  Cincinnati  teachers  receive  a  uniform 
rate  of  $2.00  per  day.  The  salaries  in  New  York 
are  as  follows: 

SALARIES  OF  VACATION  SCHOOL  TEACHERS 

Supervisors $6.00  per  day 

Principals 4.50    ' 

Teachers 3.00 

Kindergartners 3.00 

Kindergarten  helpers i  .50 

Substitutes 1.50 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 
COST  OF  VACATION  SCHOOLS 


City 

Buffalo 

Season 

Numbe 

of 
School* 

Q 

r         Cost  of 
Mainte- 
>          nance 

$5  724  87 

Average 
Atten- 
dance 

2,333 

Capita 
Cost 

$2  45 

Cambridge.  .  . 
Chicago 

1008 

I 

16 

TT  J  >  I  ***-\         I 

1  ,791  •  lo 
23  217  5Q 

907 
6  OO3 

T^'TV 
1-97 

o/; 

Cincinnati  .  .  . 
Cincinnati*  .  . 
Newark 

jr*^ 

1908 
1908 

4 

U'       /    7;/ 
2,9OO.OO 
1  ,200.00 

3  1  ,34^.00 

v-'>'-"-'9 

1,480 

357 

9,OIO 

1.96 
3.36 

348 

New  York  .  .  . 
Pittsburgh..  . 
St.  Louis  .  .  . 

1908 
1908 

27 
10 

2 

8^256.99 
2,869.08 

2^544 

577 

,?*T'v-/ 
4.83 
3.24 

4-97 

*  Summer  academic  school  which  is  run  separately. 

These  figures  have  in  most  instances  been 
compiled  from  school  reports.  There  is  no  as- 
surance that  uniform  methods  were  employed 
in  arriving  at  the  cost  of  maintenance,  so  they 
have  no  value  for  the  purpose  of  inter-city  com- 
parisons. They  are  to  be  regarded  simply  as 
examples  of  vacation  school  expenditure. 

The  cost  of  the  Haverhill  vacation  schools  in 
1907  averaged  78  cents  per  pupil.  The  same  sea- 
son St.  Louis  conducted  summer  school  work  the 
cost  of  which,  computed  on  the  average  daily  at- 
tendance, was  $5.58  per  capita.  The  Des  Moines 
schools  during  the  season  of  1909  cost  about  $3.00 
per  pupil,  which  is  a  fair  average  for  the  country. 
The  expensiveness  of  these  schools  varies  with 
the  size  of  classes,  salaries  of  teachers,  kinds  and 
amount  of  material  used,  and  equipment  in- 
stalled. With  volunteer  workers,  contributed 

132 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

material,  borrowed  tools  and  the  use  of  idle  school 
rooms,  a  large  number  of  children  can  be  provided 
with  many  hours  of  useful  happiness  at  little  or  no 
expense.  The  per  capita  cost  in  New  York  for 
the  1906  vacation  schools  was  $4.84;  in  1907  it 
jumped  to  $5.03  and  in  1908  it  sank  to  the  1906 
figures.  In  St.  Louis  the  second  year  of  its  vaca- 
tion work  showed  a  reduction  of  61  cents  in  the 
cost  per  pupil.  Cambridge  vacation  schools  in 
1908  decreased  $0.41  per  pupil  below  the  cost  in 
1907.  This  was  due  in  part  to  an  increase  in  the 
average  attendance  and  in  part  to  the  omission  of 
drawing,  since  more  teachers  were  required  when 
drawing  was  given  in  connection  with  the  sloyd 
work.  The  Newark  summer  school  work  increased 
in  cost  from  $1.77  (based  on  average  attendance) 
in  1901  to  $3.68  in  1907.  The  reasons  given  for 
this  increase  are,  mainly,  rise  in  the  salaries  of 
teachers,  reduction  in  size  of  classes,  introduction 
of  new  kinds  of  work  requiring  additional  teachers, 
greater  expense  for  supplies  and  equipment,  and 
the  enlargement  of  the  supervising  corps. 

In  the  Cleveland  schools  the  children  pay  one- 
half  the  cost  of  the  material  used  in  making  the 
articles  which  they  take  home.  In  Haverhill  a 
considerable  sum  was  realized  from  the  sale  of 
baskets  at  the  end  of  the  term.  In  most  schools, 
however,  after  the  usual  closing  exhibition  of  the 
vacation  school  work,  the  children  are  given  the 
articles  they  have  made. 


WIDER    USE    OF   THE    SCHOOL    PLANT 
HOW  THEY  START 

The  first  vacation  school  in  this  country  of 
which  there  is  any  record  was  held  in  1866  under 
the  auspices  of  the  First  Church  of  Boston,  but 
it  was  in  no  way  connected  with  the  public  schools 
of  that  city.  The  report  of  the  Providence  super- 
intendent of  schools  for  June,  1870,  states:  "For 
two  years  past  schools  have  been  opened  in  the 
summer  vacation  for  such  children  as  wished  to 
attend.  These  have  been  a  great  blessing  to  the 
city.  All  lessons  are  made  as  attractive  as  pos- 
sible by  apt  illustration  and  familiar  conversation. 
Sewing,  drawing  and  object  teaching  occupy  a 
prominent  place."  These  schools  were  under  a 
volunteer  committee.  In  1876  they  were  dis- 
continued, but  in  1894  they  were  revived  and 
carried  on  for  six  years,  when  they  were  finally 
turned  over  to  the  school  committee.  The  first 
municipal  board  of  education  to  incorporate 
vacation  schools  as  a  part  of  its  system  was  that  of 
Newark,  where  they  were  established  in  1885. 

In  1894  the  Association  for  Improving  the 
Condition  of  the  Poor  in  New  York  City  ob- 
tained the  use  of  four  public  schools  and  main- 
tained classes  in  manual  training  and  allied 
subjects  during  the  vacation  season.  In  1897 
vacation  schools  were  adopted  as  a  part  of  its 
public  school  system  by  the  New  York  Board  of 
Education. 

In    1896   at   a   conference   of   the   Associated 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

Charities  in  Chicago  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  take  up  the  matter  of  establishing  vacation 
schools  in  that  city,  and  through  the  efforts  of  this 
committee  the  Civic  Federation  was  induced  to 
conduct  one  vacation  school.  In  the  summer  of 
1897  a  school  supported  by  private  contributions 
was  also  maintained  in  the  Seward  School,  under 
the  auspices  of  the  Chicago  University  Settlement. 
The  Chicago  women's  clubs  became  interested  in 
1898,  and  assisted  by  several  charitable  associa- 
tions, formed  an  organization  for  the  purpose  of 
carrying  on  summer  schools  until  they  should 
become  an  organic  part  of  the  municipal  system. 
In  1908  this  body  was  known  as  the  "Permanent 
Vacation  School  Committee  of  Women's  Clubs/' 
It  expended  $23,217.59  upon  sixteen  vacation 
schools,  of  which  amount  f  1 5,000  was  contributed 
by  the  Chicago  Board  of  Education.  The  sessions 
were  held  in  public  school  buildings,  but  were  di- 
rected by  a  superintendent  in  the  employ  of  the 
Vacation  School  Committee. 

The  introduction  of  vacation  schools  and  play- 
grounds in  Pittsburgh  was  due  to  the  activity  of 
the  Civic  Club.  As  early  as  1896,  while  looking 
about  for  some  needed  thing  to  undertake,  it  was 
impressed  by  the  number  of  forlorn  homes  and 
crowded  streets  in  the  city  and  resolved  to  secure 
the  use  of  the  school  yards  for  the  children  who 
had  no  place  to  play.  After  the  grounds  had 
been  secured  the  astonishing  discovery  was  made 
that  most  of  the  children  did  not  know  how  to 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

play.  Chiefly  the  children  of  immigrants,  they 
came  from  mill  neighborhoods  and  foreign  settle- 
ments and  had  never  had  an  opportunity  to  learn 
the  games  and  sports  which  have  always  been  the 
birthright  of  American  boys  and  girls.  The  boys 
seemed  to  be  animated  solely  by  a  feverish  de- 
sire for  work  and  the  girls  would  not  come  unless 
bribed  with  sewing  classes.  The  parents  also  con- 
tinually asked  that  their  young  children  be  given 
some  kind  of  manual  work.  In  response  to  these 
demands  more  and  more  hand  work  was  included 
in  the  playground  programs,  and  thus  after  several 
years'  experimentation  the  activities  of  the  vaca- 
tion school  came  to  be  combined  with  those  of 
the  playground.  For  the  younger  children  kin- 
dergarten methods  were  still  employed,  but  for 
those  over  eight  years  of  age  the  daily  program 
was  revised  to  include  some  form  of  industrial 
work,  music,  nature  study  and  clay  modeling  or 
drawing  and  coloring. 

In  1900,  feeling  that  more  popular  support  was 
needed,  the  Civic  Club  asked  the  women's  clubs 
to  help  them.  A  meeting  was  held  and  the  joint 
committee  then  formed  from  the  delegates  of  the 
various  clubs  conducted  the  work  for  the  next 
six  years.  The  women  became  enthusiastic  over 
the  undertaking  and  the  playground  and  vacation 
school  work  added  a  new  interest  to  their  club 
life.  There  were  many  volunteer  workers  among 
their  members  and  liberal  contributions  were 
made  out  of  their  treasuries.  The  Central  Board 

136 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

of  Education  of  Pittsburgh  gradually  increased 
its  financial  assistance  until  in  1908  its  annual 
appropriation  had  reached  the  sum  of  $9,500.  The 
schools,  however,  are  still  (1910)  under  the  direc- 
tion of  the  women's  clubs,  though  the  organization 
composed  of  their  delegates  is  known  as  the  Pitts- 
burgh Playground  Association. 

On  the  north  side  of  Pittsburgh,  formerly  the 
city  of  Allegheny,  vacation  schools,  started  in  1905 
by  a  joint  committee  of  the  women's  clubs  of  Alle- 
gheny, are  conducted  by  the  Playground  and  Vaca- 
tion School  Association  of  Allegheny,  Incorporated. 
The  Association  at  the  present  time  is  made  up 
of  delegates  from  over  twenty  women's  clubs, 
church  societies  and  neighborhood  committees. 
The  schools  are  supported  by  appropriations  from 
the  city  and  from  private  contributions,  and  ara. 
administered  by  officers  selected  by  the  Associa- 
tion and  by  a  large  number  of  voluntary  workers. 

Vacation  schools  in  Cleveland  were  established 
in  1895  under  the  auspices  of  the  Ladies'  Aid 
Society  of  the  Old  Stone  Church.  These  schools 
were  carried  on  by  the  Day  Nursery  and  Free 
Kindergarten  Association  from  1901  to  1903, 
when  the  Board  of  Education  assumed  their 
control.  In  Milwaukee,  some  public  spirited  and 
philanthropic  women  began  by  obtaining  the 
use  of  one  of  the  public  school  buildings.  They 
employed  teachers  and  held  classes  for  six  weeks. 
In  1904  the  board  of  school  directors,  impressed 
by  the  value  of  this  instruction,  established  and 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

carried  on  one  vacation  school,  while  the  women's 
organization  continued  their  work  in  a  new 
locality.  In  the  following  year  the  school  board 
assumed  the  responsibility  for  both  schools  and 
the  women  withdrew  from  the  field. 

In  Rochester,  the  Women's  Educational  and 
Industrial  Union  and  the  Playground  League 
played  a  prominent  part  in  the  inception  of  the 
vacation  schools.  In  Johnstown,  Pennsylvania, 
they  were  first  started  by  the  local  civic  club  at 
the  suggestion  of  a  teacher  who  had  taught  in 
the  summer  classes  of  another  city.  Funds  were 
raised  by  subscription.  In  Medford,  Massachu- 
setts, vacation  schools  are  supported  by  a  va- 
cation school  association  composed  mainly  of 
women  who  act  in  co-operation  with  the  munic- 
ipality. The  business  men  of  Minneapolis  sup- 
ported the  vacation  schools  of  that  cjty  during 
the  summer  of  1906.  Those  of  St.  Paul  ob- 
tained their  start  through  the  co-operation  of 
the  superintendent  of  schools  and  the  St.  Paul 
Institute  of  Arts  and  Sciences.  Soon  after  the 
incorporation  of  the  Institute  its  assistance  in 
starting  vacation  sessions  in  the  public  schools 
was  asked  by  the  superintendent  of  schools.  The 
executive  committee  of  the  Institute  promptly 
put  $500  of  its  slender  resources  at  the  disposal 
of  the  school  board.  To  this  sum  the  Board  of 
Education  added  $650,  and  several  organizations 
contributed  additional  amounts,  materials,  tools 
and  services.  With  this  help  the  school  board  in 

138 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

1908  opened  four  buildings,  the  average  attend- 
ance at  which  was  846  pupils.  The  experiment 
was  so  successful  that  the  board  introduced  va- 
cation schools  into  its  regular  system  and  in  1909 
appropriated  $2,000  for  their  maintenance.  The 
I  nstitute  being  relieved  from  contributions  for  their 
support,  then  devoted  itself  to  securing  a  system 
of  school  gardens  to  be  conducted  in  connection 
with  the  summer  classes.  Through  co-operation 
with  several  other  societies  and  a  newspaper, 
some  $800  were  raised  for  this  purpose. 

In  Indianapolis,  vacation  schools  are  carried 
on  by  the  Public  Recreation  Committee  of  the 
Children's  Aid  Association.  In  Worcester,  their 
success  is  due  largely  to  the  co-operation  of  the 
merchants  of  the  city,  who  make  generous  dona- 
tions of  materials  and  supplies.  Cincinnati  owes 
its  vacation  schools  to  the  early  efforts  of  a 
woman's  club  of  that  city;  and  the  Women's  Club 
of  Brockton,  Massachusetts,  co-operated  with  the 
school  department  in  maintaining  during  the 
summer  months  a  kindergarten  in  one  school  and 
a  sewing  class  in  another. 

RESULTS 

The  president  of  the  Pittsburgh  Playground 
Association  reports  that  as  a  result  of  its  vacation 
school  work,  industrial  and  domestic  science  de- 
partments have  been  placed  in  a  number  of  the 
day  schools.  In  other  schools  play  has  been  given 
a  place  on  the  regular  daily  program  and  a  large 

139 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

number  of  teachers  have  learned  how  to  play  with 
their  children.  I  n  districts  where  vacation  schools 
have  been  maintained  it  is  reported  that  the  chil- 
dren have  returned  to  school  in  a  less  demoralized 
condition  than  is  usual  after  the  long  holiday. 
Especially  in  the  densely  populated  portions  of 
the  city  the  living  conditions  of  families  have 
been  improved.  The  instruction  received  in  the 
summer  classes  has  helped  "to  make  the  home 
cleaner  and  the  clothes  less  dependent  on  'the 
strained  devotion  of  a  pin/  Little  girls  have  taught 
their  mothers  how  to  cook  wholesome,  plain  food 
and  their  care  of  the  spoiled  tenement  baby  has 
been  more  intelligent.  At  one  school  the  girls 
were  asked  if  their  baby  brothers  and  sisters  ever 
drank  coffee.  Everyone  answered  'Yes/  When 
the  babies  are  put  on  a  milk  diet  instead  of  one 
including  coifee,  doughnuts  and  bananas,  they 
will  lie  in  a  basket  or  hammock,  and  the  little 
sisters  that  tend  them  can  themselves  rest  or 
play  with  other  children.  .  .  .  And  the  gang 
has  been  tamed.  The  West  End  gang  whose 
ideals  had  been  confined  to  baseball  and  pugilism 
became  enthusiastic  carpenters.  Their  devotion 
to  the  fine,  clean  young  fellow  who  was  their  in- 
structor was  pathetic.  They  followed  him  around. 
In  order  to  cure  the  sneak  thieving  he  would  leave 
all  the  material  out  on  the  ball  field  and  go  away 
without  making  any  boy  responsible  for  it.  The 
next  morning  every  bat  and  ball  and  glove  would 
be  returned/' 

140 


t-Jr 

>  •    M  -•<*> 


First  Aid  Methods 


Clay  Modeling 
PITTSBURGH  SUMMER  SCHOOLS 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

In  the  Buffalo  vacation  schools  the  boys  showed 
great  enthusiasm  over  manual  training.  Mem- 
bers of  the  chair-caning  classes  not  only  caned 
all  the  broken  chairs  in  their  own  homes,  but  at 
one  school  eighteen  chairs  were  caned  for  one  of 
the  local  churches,  for  which  the  boys  were  paid 
at  the  rate  of  fifty  cents  each.  At  the  close 
of  the  summer  session  many  went  immediately 
into  the  chair-caning  business.  One  of  the  chief 
benefits  afforded  by  these  summer  schools  is  the 
opportunity  for  manual  training  given  to  boys  and 
girls  who  do  not  have  it  in  their  regular  day-school 
course. 

In  the  St.  Louis  vacation  schools  five  boys  who 
had  become  wards  of  the  juvenile  court  were  en- 
rolled. The  offenses  for  which  they  had  been 
arrested  were  not  grave  enough  to  warrant  their 
being  sent  to  the  Industrial  School,  but  they  needed 
a  term  of  several  weeks  under  the  eye  of  some 
responsible  authority  other  than  their  parents. 
They  were  allowed  to  attend  the  summer  classes 
and  weekly  reports  of  their  conduct  and  progress 
were  made  to  the  court.  The  boys  continued  in 
attendance  up  to  the  last  day  and  gave  no  trouble 
worthy  of  comment.  In  Cleveland  one  vacation 
school  was  composed  solely  of  135  boys  who  had 
been  assigned  to  the  detention  home  by  the 
judge  of  the  juvenile  court.  They  ranged  in 
age  from  three  and  one-half  to  seventeen  years, 
and  in  school  rank  from  the  first  grade  to  the 
first  year  in  the  high  school.  They  were  given 

141 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

gardening,  drawing,  weaving,  paper-cutting,  clay 
modeling  and  decorating,  and  raffia  work.  During 
the  summer  they  made  three  excursions  to  nearby 
parks. 

One  of  the  most  important  benefits  of  the  vaca- 
tion school  lies  in  the  opportunity  it  affords  back- 
ward pupils  to  make  up  work  left  unfinished  at 
the  close  of  the  school  year.  The  attendance  at  the 
Cleveland  summer  high  school  for  the  past  seven 
years  has  averaged  252  pupils,  and  during  that 
time  the  instruction  has  enabled  over  1200  boys 
and  girls  to  advance  regularly  with  their  classes  in 
the  fall,  and  has  undoubtedly  been  influential  in 
holding  this  large  number  of  pupils  until  they 
secured  the  advantages  of  a  complete  high  school 
education.  During  the  summer  of  1909  over  700 
grammar  school  boys  and  girls  obtained  promotion 
as  the  result  of  attendance  at  vacation  classes. 
Eighty  per  cent  of  those  in  attendance  at  the 
summer  academic  school  in  Cincinnati  during 

1908  were  promoted  in  the  fall.     The  zeal  and 
perseverance  of  these  pupils  surprised  even  the 
teachers.     Some  of  the  children  said  it  was  the 
first  work  they  had  ever  done  with  all  their  might, 
and  those  who  were  promoted,  so  far  as  reported, 
have  sustained  themselves  creditably  in  their  new 
classes. 

Another  way  in  which  the  vacation  schools 
may  serve  the  community  is  illustrated  by  the 
course  of  lectures  given  during  the  summer  of 

1909  in  the  Chicago  vacation  schools  under  the 

142 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

auspices  of  the  Visiting  Nurses'  Association. 
These  lectures  were  upon  the  proper  care  and 
feeding  of  infants,  the  necessity  of  cleanliness  and 
suitable  clothing,  the  preparation  and  preservation 
of  milk,  and  the  use  of  barley  water  and  the  various 
substitutes  for  milk  which  are  employed  during 
the  period  when  intestinal  disease  is  prevalent 
among  infants.  They  were  given  by  medical  men, 
nurses  and  other  specially  trained  persons.  To  the 
lectures  were  admitted  the  summer  school  students 
of  the  upper  grammar  and  high  school  grades. 
A  campaign  of  education  was  thus  carried  on  for 
the  purpose  of  controlling  and  ameliorating  the 
diarrheal  diseases  in  children. 

The  success  of  the  vacation  school  work  is 
undoubtedly  responsible  in  a  measure  for  the 
tendency,  now  noticeable  in  various  parts  of  the 
country,  to  extend  the  regular  school  instruction 
beyond  its  traditional  time  limits.  In  Oakland, 
California,  the  schools  have  been  opened  on  Satur- 
day forenoons  so  that  those  outside  of  the  school 
system  may  be  instructed  in  sewing,  cooking  and 
manual  training.  The  school  year  which  obtains 
in  the  new  $650,000  Technical  High  School  in 
Cleveland  is  divided  into  four  quarters  of  twelve 
weeks  each  with  a  week  of  vacation  after  each 
quarter.  As  a  result,  one  of  the  regular  term 
sessions  takes  place  during  the  summer  months. 
During  the  summer  of  1909  there  were  450  pupils 
whose  daily  attendance  averaged  97  per  cent  of 
the  total  enrollment  in  this  school. 

'43 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Any  proposal  to  extend  the  regular  term  of 
school  throughout  the  summer  immediately  arouses 
the  apprehension  of  the  public  as  to  the  effect  upon 
the  health  of  the  children.  Even  though  the  course 
during  the  hot  months  were  largely  of  a  manual 
character,  many  persons  would  still  fear  the  con- 
sequences of  a  compulsory  attendance  during  the 
summer.  It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  success 
and  beneficial  results  of  the  vacation  schools  are 
largely  due  to  the  voluntary  nature  of  the  at- 
tendance. On  the  other  hand,  evidence  favoring 
an  extension  of  the  school  term  is  to  be  found  in 
the  work  of  the  Hebrew  Technical  School  for 
Girls  in  New  York  City,  which  has  a  continuous 
session  of  eighteen  months.  The  pupils  attend 
for  eight  hours  each  day,  but  throughout  the 
course  they  are  given  medical  supervision,  plenty 
of  fresh  air,  and  exercise  in  the  gymnasium  and 
swimming  pool.  At  10  a.  m.  daily  each  girl 
receives  a  cup  of  milk  or  cocoa  and  at  noon  she 
has  the  opportunity  to  buy  a  bowl  of  soup  for  one 
cent,  and  thus  supplement  the  luncheon  brought 
from  home.  This  long  school  day  and  the  con- 
tinuous session  were  forced  upon  the  managers  by 
necessity,  but  up  to  the  present  time  no  bad 
effects  upon  the  health  of  the  girls  have  been 
noticed,  while  in  many  cases  there  has  been  a 
decided  improvement. 

The  gradual  assumption  of  vacation  school 
work  by  boards  of  education  and  the  tendency  to 
increase  the  sessions  of  academic  instruction  show 

144 


VACATION    SCHOOLS 

that  municipalities  are  more  and  more  recognizing 
that  their  responsibility  for  the  education  and 
welfare  of  children  is  not  limited  to  the  forty 
weeks  of  the  school  year. 

REFERENCES 

AMERICAN,  SADIE:  The  Movement  for  Vacation  Schools.  American 
Journal  of  Sociology,  Nov.,  1898,  pages  309-25. 

CURTIS,  HENRY  S.:  Vacation  Schools,  Playgrounds,  and  Settlements. 
Report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education  for  1903,  Vol.  I, 
pages  1-38. 

DE  MONTMORENCY,  J.  E.  G.:  School  Excursions  and  Vacation  Schools. 
Vol.  xxi  of  Special  Reports  on  Education  Subjects,  Board  of 
Education,  London,  1907. 

DUTTON,  SAMUEL  T.,  AND  SNEDDEN,  DAVID:  Administration  of  Pub- 
lic Education  in  the  United  States.  Pages  579-581.  Refer- 
ences to  recent  articles.  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York, 
1908.  Price  11.75. 

HOUSTON,  MARION:  Bibliography  of  Playgrounds  and  Vacation 
Schools.  Charities,  April  2,  1904,  pages  358^60. 

LEE,  JOSEPH:  Constructive  and  Preventive  Philanthropy.  Pages 
109-122.  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York.  1906.  Price 
1 1. oo. 

MILLIKEN,  O.  J.:  Chicago  Vacation  Schools.  Amer.  Journal  of 
Sociology,  Nov.,  1898,  pages  289-308. 

WHITNEY,  EVANGELINE  E.:  Annual  Reports  as  District  Superin- 
tendent in  charge  of  Vacation  Schools,  Playgrounds  and  Recrea- 
tion Centers,  contained  in  reports  of  City  Superintendent  of 
Schools  to  New  York  Board  of  Education  from  1902  to  1909. 

See  also  Summer  Schools  and  Playgrounds,  by  Morton  L.  Dartt, 
Board  of  Education,  Cleveland,  1908;  Report  of  the  Chicago 
Permanent  Vacation  School  Committee  of  Women's  Clubs,  1908;  the 
annual  reports  of  the  Pittsburgh  Playground  Association;  Vacation 
Schools  in  Philadelphia,  The  Playground,  July,  1908;  and  the  annual 
reports  of  the  superintendents  of  schools  of  the  cities  named  in  the  text. 


10 


'45 


VI 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUNDS 


CHAPTER  VI 
SCHOOL   PLAYGROUNDS 

IT  is  1 130  in  the  afternoon  and  a  July  sun  is 
blazing  down  upon  a  company  of  boys  and 
girls  lined  up  in  military  fashion  on  the 
grounds  of  a  public  school  in  the  city  of  Newark. 
They  face  a  huge  brick  building,  while  at  their 
rear  are  to  be  seen  climbing  ropes,  swings,  a 
sand-pile,  a  horizontal  bar  and  the  other  equip- 
ment found  in  an  outdoor  gymnasium.  Outside 
the  closed  gate  a  group  of  belated  youngsters 
peer  wistfully  between  the  pickets.  A  drum 
rolls  and  immediately  a  flag  flutters  from  the 
flag-staff.  The  ranks  stiffen  into  the  posture  of 
attention;  caps  are  clapped  to  shoulder  and  girls' 
hands  are  raised  towards  the  flag. 

"We  salute  thee,"  the  treble  voices  chant;  "we 
the  children  of  many  lands  who  find  rest  under 
thy  folds,  do  pledge  our  lives,  our  hearts,  and 
our  sacred  honor  to  love  and  protect  thee,  our 
country  and  the  liberty  of  the  American  people 
forever." 

Then  the  bareheaded  man  with  rolled-up  sleeves 
and  belted  trousers,  who  led  in  the  reciting,  tells 
a  story  of  Uncle  Remus.  As  the  applause  dies 

149 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

away  the  drums  sound  again  and  the  company 
begins  to  march.  After  several  maneuvers  and 
mass  formations,  the  girls,  officered  by  women, 
pass  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  school  house  and 
are  lost  to  view. 

The  boys,  in  obedience  to  a  couple  of  sharp 
commands,  spread  out  over  the  square  like  chess- 
men on  a  board.  All  eyes  turn  to  the  bare- 
headed man  standing  before  them.  He  raises 
his  finger-tips  to  his  shoulders.  Then,  imitating 
him,  the  boys  shoot  out  their  arms  sideways,  bend 
them  back, — out,  back,  and  so  on, — eight  times. 
Arms  are  raised  forward,  upward  and  sideward; 
bodies  are  bent  forward  and  sideways;  feet 
spring  sideways  as  the  arms  swing  overhead.  All 
the  while  the  leader  counts,  spitting  out  "one/' 
"two,"  "three,"  and  so  on,  like  a  rapid-fire  gun. 
The  boys  flap  their  arms  in  the  manner  of  an 
excited  railroad  signal  and  every  pair  of  lungs 
works  like  a  blacksmith's  bellows.  Cheeks  redden 
and  sweat  begins  to  ooze.  Ten  strenuous  minutes 
pass  and  then,  as  a  wind-up,  the  leader  gradually 
quickens  the  count.  The  boys  see  the  twinkle 
in  his  eye  and  "hit  up"  the  pace  with  a  will; 
but  soon  the  point  is  reached  where  muscles  can 
move  no  faster  and  all  break  down  in  laughter. 

The  ranks  close  up  and  the  children  outside  the 
gate  are  allowed  to  come  in  and  line  up  with  the 
others.  The  whole  company  is  divided  into 
squads  under  the  leadership  of  teachers  and  of 
some  of  the  bigger  boys.  One  of  the  latter  brings 

150 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

out  spades,  shovels  and  rakes,  and  a  group  starts 
to  dig  a  jumping  pit  over  in  a  corner  of  the  yard. 
Another  lot  of  youngsters  goes  into  a  class  room 
and  is  set  to  weaving  baskets.  Two  squads  go  to 
the  shops  where  they  cane  chairs,  whittle  out 
boats  or  make  kites.  Other  groups  are  sent  to 
the  various  pieces  of  apparatus,  where  they  swing 
through  the  air  on  the  flying  rings,  "skin  the  cat" 
on  the  horizontal  bar,  vault  over  leather-covered 
bucks,  or  make  "giant  strides"  through  the  air 
with  the  help  of  ropes  attached  to  a  pivot-like 
post.  The  smallest  fellows  flock  to  the  sand-pile 
under  an  awning,  and  bury  their  legs  and  bodies 
in  clean  white  sand,  or  they  run  on  farther  to 
the  high  wooden  platform  which  stands  nearby. 
Here  they  go  up  steps  on  one  side  and  on  the  other 
slide  pell-mell,  entirely  careless  of  skin  or  clothes, 
down  a  broad,  smooth  wooden  chute.  The 
climbing  ropes  are  sought  out  by  one  of  the  squads. 
Several  of  these  thick  ropes  hang  down  from  a  high 
cross-bar,  each  having  a  bell  so  placed  that  it 
can  be  rung  only  by  the  boy  who  is  successful  in 
pulling  himself  clear  to  the  top.  Other  youngsters 
gather  around  the  soft  dirt  which  by  this  time 
has  been  spaded  up,  leveled  off  and  cleared  of  its 
stones  and  lumps,  and  are  presently  engaged  in  a 
broad-jumping  contest. 

The  two  squads  whose  turn  it  is  to  play  basket 
ball  have  the  liveliest  time.  One  of  the  teachers 
acts  as  referee  and  every  time  a  player  trips  or 
holds  an  opponent,  or  runs  with  the  ball,  his  side 

151 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

is  penalized,  and  a  shaping  touch  is  given  to  that 
plastic  something  in  each  boy's  make-up  which  in 
manhood  will  show  itself  as  "  obedience  to  law/ 
though  it  will  still  be,  what  it  always  has  been, 
merely  "playing  by  the  rules  of  the  game/' 

As  soon  as  a  team  is  through  with  one  game  or 
exercise  it  moves  on  to  another  place  where  a 
new  kind  of  fun  awaits  it.  The  boys  who  today 
are  working  in  the  shops,  will  tomorrow  have  the 
right  of  way  on  the  basket  ball  field,  while  those 
who  have  been  using  the  apparatus  will  be  set  to 
jumping  or  sprinting.  The  opening  calisthenic 
exercises  are  also  varied  by  periods  of  dumb-bell, 
Indian  club  or  single-stick  drill.  Thus  all  the 
children  enjoy  in  turn  the  whole  list  of  play  op- 
portunities; and  through  skilled  oversight  each 
group  is  given  exercise  adapted  to  its  strength. 

Over  on  the  girls'  side  also  a  lively  program  is 
being  carried  out.  Scattered  all  over  the  yard 
are  little  groups  playing  club  tag,  prisoners' 
base,  volley  ball,  throwing  the  corn  bag  for  height, 
or  passing  the  basket-ball  in  a  circle.  In  the 
kindergarten  room  successive  classes  listen  to  the 
ever  delightful  recital  of  the  "Adventures  of 
Alice  in  Wonderland"  or  take  a  trip  through  the 
"Jungle"  under  the  guidance  of  Kipling.  Inter- 
spersed with  the  stories  are  such  games  as  "  How 
do  you  do,  my  partner?"  and  "Would  you  know 
how  does  the  farmer?";  interesting  times  over 
peg-boards,  sewing  cards  and  chalk  drawings, 
and  enjoyment  of  such  rhythmical  exercises  as 

152 


Practicing  Housekeeping:   Laundry  Work 


A  Lesson  in  Sweeping 
IN  A  NEWARK,  N.  J.,  PLAY  SCHOOL 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

"Merry  Little  Fishes,"  "The  Bird's  Nest/'  and 
"The  Song  of  the  Loaf  of  Bread." 

In  another  room  a  busy  group  of  older  girls 
practice  at  housekeeping.  They  sweep,  dust, 
wash  clothes,  build  fires  and  set  dinner  tables. 
The  teacher  joins  them  and  the  work  is  not  work  at 
all.  The  place,  however,  where  the  fun  is  gayest 
is  the  spacious  class  room  from  which  all  the 
benches  and  seats  have  been  removed.  A  piano 
stands  in  the  corner,  and  the  floor  shines  from 
many  waxen  polishings.  The  girls  form  in  a 
double  circle,  partners  facing  each  other;  the 
music  strikes  up  and  their  young  limbs  and  bodies 
begin  to  move  through  the  steps  of  the  Danish 
Shoemaker's  Dance.  To  wind  the  thread  they 
revolve  their  fists;  to  pull  it  tight  they  jerk  their 
elbows  back  and  forth;  and  then  they  polka 
lightly  around  the  circle  on  their  toes.  The 
teacher  dances  with  them,  and  her  eyes  sparkle 
and  her  cheeks  become  flushed  like  those  of  her 
pupils  as  together  they  trip  through  the  "Ace 
of  Diamonds,"  "Tarantella,"  "Highland  Fling," 
"  Bleking,"  and  other  dances  imported  from  the 
merry-makings  of  Europe.  Sometimes  the  girls 
dress  in  bloomers,  or  in  bright-colored  caps  and 
costumes  of  different  nations  which  they  have 
learned  to  make  in  the  sewing  classes;  and  to 
the  appeal  of  music  and  rhythmic  motion  there  is 
added  the  appeal  of  color  and  uniformity  in  dress. 
Admission  to  the  folk  dancing  classes  is  obtained 
only  through  faithfulness  in  the  performance  of 

'53 


WIDER    USE    OF    THE    SCHOOL    PLANT 

some  of  the  less  attractive  exercises  set  down  in 
the  playground  program. 

There  is  rotation  among  the  groups  and  all  the 
girls  get  a  chance  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of  the 
various  games  and  occupations.  The  teachers  act 
simply  as  play-fellows  and  leaders.  They  exercise 
supervision  in  order  to  secure  wholesome  expres- 
sion and  do  not  try  to  repress  the  budding  natures 
under  their  charge.  At  five  o'clock  the  games 
stop;  materials  and  equipment  are  put  away; 
the  grounds  and  rooms  are  cleared  of  all  litter, 
and  teacher  and  pupil  go  home  tired  but  happy. 

OTHER   PLAYGROUND  ACTIVITIES 

A  large  proportion  of  the  children  enjoying  the 
school  playgrounds  of  New  York  are  of  about  the 
same  age  and  are  taken  care  of  in  the  kindergartens 
which  are  held  usually  on  the  ground  floor  of  the 
building.  They  join  in  simple  songs,  Yankee, 
Russian  Jew,  Armenian  and  Italian  boys  and 
girls  all  singing  in  the  same  tongue.  In  the  sand 
bins  some  build  remarkable  subways  and  tunnels, 
while  others  at  the  tables  busy  themselves  in 
making  paper  toys.  Sometimes  the  tales  of  Red 
Riding  Hood  and  the  Lion  and  the  Mouse  are 
dramatized  and  the  children  applaud  the  small 
actors  with  great  eclat. 

Checkers  and  other  quiet  games  are  played  by 
the  boys  and  girls  alternately  in  the  same  room 
in  which  the  library  is  situated,  and  so  great  is 
the  absorption  of  the  players  in  their  games  that 

154 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

the  readers  are  not  disturbed.  Of  the  various 
occupations  afforded,  basketry  and  caning  are 
the  most  popular  among  the  older  pupils.  Some- 
times the  girls  bring  their  sewing  from  home,  and 
in  one  of  the  yards  a  great  deal  of  enjoyment  was 
obtained  from  making  scrap  books  which  were 
sent  to  the  hospitals. 

The  shower  baths  connected  with  the  school 
houses  are  thrown  open  during  the  summer  from 
9  a.m.  to  10  p.m.  and  children  frequently  stand 
in  line  a  long  time  waiting  their  turn  to  take  a 
bath  in  preference  to  playing  the  games  on  the 
playground.  These  baths  in  many  instances  have 
been  installed  at  slight  cost.  A  perforated  shower 
or  a  spray  head  has  simply  been  placed  on  the  end 
of  a  hose  pipe,  and  the  water  allowed  to  drain 
away  without  doing  any  damage.  The  eagerness 
with  which  the  children  have  availed  themselves 
of  these  privileges  shows  that  cleanliness  is  just 
as  contagious  as  the  measles  when  one  is  in  a 
position  to  catch  it. 

New  York  playgrounds  like  those  of  many  other 
cities,  have  White  Wings  brigades  made  up  of 
the  boys  who  enjoy  the  privileges  of  the  ground. 
They  go  around  with  push  carts  gathering  up 
and  carrying  off  all  the  rubbish  and  litter  which 
accumulate  during  the  session. 

Regular  periods  in  the  outdoor  program  are 
devoted  to  learning  and  practicing  selected  Eu- 
ropean peasant  dances.  These  are  offered  to  the 
boys  as  well  as  to  the  girls  but  are  most  popular 

'55 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

with  the  latter.  Music  especially  adapted  to  the 
various  folk  dances  is  provided  and  frequently 
there  are  spontaneous  outbursts  of  song  from 
the  dancers.  In  choosing  the  games  and  dances 
to  be  taught,  emphasis  is  placed  upon  those 
of  Scandinavian  and  Slavic  origin,  which  are  so 
characteristic  of  simple  peasant  life.  Some  of  them 
have  a  gay,  quick  movement,  while  others  move 
in  stately  fashion  and  display  dignity  and  grace. 
No  occupation  on  the  playground  is  more  charm- 
ing or  more  conducive  to  refinement  than  these 
delightful  folk  dances,  and  while  accomplishing  the 
same  amount  of  muscular  development  as  gymnastic 
drills,  they  are  much  better  suited  to  hot  weather. 

About  one  in  five  of  the  New  York  school  play- 
grounds is  set  apart  for  the  enjoyment  of  mothers 
and  babies.  No  children  over  six  years  of  age 
are  admitted  unless  they  have  charge  of  little 
foster  tots;  but  there  are  many  of  these  youthful 
mothers.  They  bear  their  burdens  cheerfully. 
One  of  the  kindergartners  attempted  to  sympa- 
thize with  a  little  girl  who  was  struggling  under 
the  weight  of  an  unusually  stodgy  youngster 
"Oh,  no,  he  isn't  heavy!  I  love  to  carry  a  baby/' 
was  the  prompt  reply. 

Important  members  of  the  playground  staff 
are  the  nurses  who  co-operate  with  the  Board  of 
Health  physicians  and  give  much-needed  instruc- 
tion on  the  proper  feeding,  bathing  and  clothing 
of  infants.  Remedies  for  simple  ailments  are 
prescribed  and  those  needing  more  thorough 

156 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

medical  aid  are  sent  to  clinics  or  floating  hospitals. 
The  ignorance  of  many  of  the  mothers  is  appalling. 
One  of  them  seriously  objected  to  sending  a  sick 
child  to  the  hospital  because  she  was  afraid  the 
nurse  would  give  him  a  bath!  Sometimes  small 
tubs,  with  the  usual  accessories,  are  supplied  and 
mothers  learn  the  uses  of  soap  and  water  through 
a  practical  demonstration  then  and  there  of  what 
a  sweet  and  clean  baby  may  be.  Meetings  are 
frequently  held  in  which  talks  are  given  upon 
such  topics  as  Cleanliness,  Food  and  Clothing,  and 
the  mothers  are  often  addressed  by  a  physician. 
Most  of  the  women  are  able  to  understand  English, 
but  sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  have  an  interpreter. 
At  one  school  a  Yiddish  woman  translated  the 
speaker's  remarks  for  the  benefit  of  her  friends. 

More  and  more  attention  to  the  needs  of  babies 
is  being  given  in  the  school  grounds.  In  the  most 
congested  district  of  Cleveland  a  school  yard  has 
been  provided  with  a  small  tent  which  is  used  as  a 
day  nursery  by  the  mothers  of  the  vicinity.  A 
trained  nurse  is  in  charge  and  the  babies  which  are 
brought  there  sleep  through  the  long  summer 
days  in  tiny,  cool  cots  and  under  expert  supervi- 
sion. In  the  New  York  playgrounds  special  at- 
tention is  also  given  to  other  children  needing 
individual  care.  Those  who  show  symptoms  of 
spinal  curvature,  wry-neck,  round  shoulders  or 
any  of  the  other  deformities  common  to  their  age 
are  drilled  in  exercises  adapted  to  their  bodily 
needs  and  in  many  cases  remarkable  improvement 

»57 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

has  resulted.  A  milk  depot  was  established  by 
the  Woman's  Health  Protective  League  at  one 
of  the  schools,  where  a  glass  of  sterilized  milk 
and  three  sweet  crackers  were  sold  for  two  cents, 
in  order  to  provide  a  light  lunch. 

In  certain  New  York  yards  the  boys  and  girls 
are  lined  up  in  marching  form  at  the  close  of 
the  afternoon  and  recitations  are  then  given  or 
stories  told.  One  principal  narrated  in  one  term 
more  than  forty  stories  from  Dickens,  Thacke- 
ray, Dumas,  Shakespeare,  and  the  Arabian  Nights. 
The  usual  program  is  as  follows: 


NEW  YORK  DAILY  PROGRAM 
Marching 


:oo-i  130    Assembly 


(  Singing 

Jr 


Salute  to  the  Flag 
(Talk  by  the  Principal 


Organized  Games 


2  30-3  :oo 
3  :oo-4  :oo 

Organized  rree  rla 
Drills 

y 
f  Gymnastic 
(  Military 

Folk  Dancing 

Apparatus  Work 

(Raffia 

Occupation  Work 

•j  Clay  Modeling 

(Scrap  Books 

4:00-4:45 

Organized  Games 

|  Kindergarten 
(  Gymnastic 

Basket  Ball 

4:45-5:15 

Athletics 

Good  Citizens'  Club 

5:15-5:30 

Dismissal 

f  Marching 
I  Singing 

158 

The  Nursery 


"  In  Tiny,  Cool  Cots" 
SCHOOL  YARD  NURSERY  IN  CLEVELAND 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

In  Boston  the  children  of  the  school  playgrounds 
sometimes  give  a  play  like  " Cinderella"  and 
such  tableaux  as  "The  Sleeping  Beauty"  and 
"The  Ringing  of  the  Liberty  Bell."  They  dance 
"Dainty  Steps,"  a  German  dance,  the  "Ace  of 
Diamonds"  and  the  "Grandmother"  dance.  On 
one  occasion  a  group  of  boys  gave  a  dramatic 
portrayal  of  "The  Signing  of  the  Declaration  of 
Independence."  There  is  a  tendency  in  Boston 
to  lay  more  emphasis  upon  athletics  for  the  girls. 
Relay  races,  potato  races  and  three-legged  races 
already  form  a  regular  part  of  their  program,  and 
certain  of  the  playgrounds  are  now  being  fitted 
up  for  the  exclusive  use  of  girls.  It  is  pro- 
posed to  give  them  regular  athletics  and  gymnas- 
tics like  those  provided  for  boys.  The  girls  are 
to  receive  a  medical  examination  and  exercises 
will  be  prescribed  in  accordance  with  each  child's 
needs. 

Kite  making  forms  a  prominent  feature  in  the 
Cleveland  program.  A  kite  club  formed  in  one 
of  the  yards  made  125  kites  of  fifteen  different 
varieties.  A  flying  contest  was  held  and  prizes 
were  awarded  for  the  best  constructed,  most 
unique  and  best  flying  kites.  At  Buffalo,  be- 
sides the  usual  games  and  sports,  swimming  classes 
are  conducted  by  the  director  although  the  boys 
have  to  walk  about  two  miles  to  the  nearest  swim- 
ming place.  They  meet  three  times  a  week  and 
start  out  in  a  company  of  seventy-five  to  one 
hundred,  carrying  their  swimming  suits,  water 

'59 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

wings,  and  other  paraphernalia.  Several  of  the 
grounds  in  this  city  are  equipped  with  cinder 
tracks  and  the  boys  get  a  great  deal  of  practice 
in  the  sprints  and  distance  running. 

The  tendency  to  insert  hand  work  in  the  play- 
ground program  is  very  well  illustrated  at  Cam- 
bridge. While  the  games  are  going  on  in  one 
part  of  the  yard,  in  other  parts  there  are  busy 
groups  sewing  cards  in  gay  colors,  or  knitting 
and  crocheting.  Many  scrap  books  are  made,  and 
even  the  boys  eagerly  learn  to  construct  waste- 
paper  baskets,  flower-pot  covers  from  wall  paper, 
and  to  weave  mats  on  little  frames.  Dressing 
dolls  and  making  dolls'  furniture  are  popular  occu- 
pations among  the  little  girls.  Recently  the  Gil- 
bert American  school  dances  were  added  to  the 
list  of  activities  taught,  greatly  to  the  delight  of 
the  girls  who  were  permitted  to  enjoy  them. 
Cambridge,  like  many  other  cities,  equips  its 
school  playgrounds  with  traveling  libraries.  The 
books  are  carefully  selected  from  the  public 
library  and  after  being  used  in  one  yard  are 
taken  to  another.  Children  with  clean  hands  and 
faces  are  permitted  to  take  them  home  and  keep 
them  for  a  couple  of  nights.  The  books  are 
usually  returned  in  very  good  condition  and  few 
are  lost  during  the  season. 

At  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  the  little  plays 
"Princess  May"  and  "Snow  White"  were  given 
during  the  summer  and  attracted  large  crowds 
both  at  the  daily  rehearsals  and  the  final  perform- 

160 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

ance.  The  children  were  so  delighted  with  the 
costumes  which  they  were  required  to  wear,  of 
the  various  princesses  and  queens,  that  the  work 
of  drilling  them  was  both  enjoyable  and  successful. 
In  this  city  and  Newark  the  playground  boys  have 
been  organized  as  cadets  and  under  the  instruc- 
tion of  expert  drill  masters  have  given  very  credit- 
able military  exhibitions. 

In  Los  Angeles  brass  bands  are  organized  among 
the  boys  and  girls,  the  first  instruments  having 
been  purchased  out  of  a  gift  of  $400  made  by  a 
firm  of  architects.  The  beginners  use  these  in- 
struments until  they  can  secure  their  own.  The 
cost  of  the  instruction  is  met  by  the  young  people. 
In  Pittsburgh,  Cleveland  and  several  other  cities 
the  morning  and  afternoon  programs  contain 
both  play  features  and  the  indoor  occupations 
which  belong  to  the  vacation  school.  In  Pitts- 
burgh several  small  playgrounds,  provided  with 
apparatus,  shelter  rooms  and  sand-piles  in  the 
charge  of  trained  kindergartners  are  devoted  par- 
ticularly to  little  children. 

In  certain  cities,  where  the  playground  work 
has  reached  a  high  development,  organized  ath- 
letics play  a  prominent  part,  and  baseball  matches 
are  arranged  with  neighboring  schools  while  the 
track  and  field  athletes  from  all  the  yards  come 
together  in  a  final  public  meet.  Because  of  their 
increasing  importance  an  entire  chapter  is  devoted 
to  the  discussion  of  organized  athletics,  games, 
and  folk  dancing. 

11  161 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

School  playgrounds  are  usually  open  from  1 130 
to  5:30  p.m.,  though  the  hours  vary  in  the  differ- 
ent cities.  The  term  lasts  usually  from  six  to 
eight  weeks,  and  begins  about  the  middle  of  July. 
Most  of  the  cities  throw  open  their  school  yards 
only  five  days  a  week,  keeping  them  shut  on 
Saturdays,  although  in  Seattle  there  are  some 
grounds  that  are  open  every  week-day  from  seven 
in  the  morning  until  nine  at  night.  In  Rochester 
some  of  the  playgrounds  are  open  all  the  year 
round,  and  one  of  them  on  Sundays  as  well  as 
week-days.  In  Buffalo  the  organized  work  goes 
on  from  May  to  November,  while  in  two  grounds 
which  adjoin  school  houses  opportunity  for  using 
their  play  facilities  is  afforded  half  the  time 
throughout  the  winter.  In  New  York  City  the 
roofs  of  eleven  public  school  buildings  are  thrown 
open  from  7:30  to  10  o'clock  every  night  except 
Sundays  for  eight  weeks  during  the  summer. 
For  the  boys  active  games  and  gymnastics  are 
provided  under  careful  supervision,  while  on  the 
girls'  side  an  excellent  band  plays  for  the  dances 
arranged  by  the  competent  instructors  always  on 
hand  to  organize  and  promote  fun. 

An  average  of  nearly  two  thousand  persons, 
including  many  adults  as  well  as  young  people, 
nightly  attend  each  of  these  roof  playgrounds. 

It  has  become  the  custom  to  close  the  summer 
season  with  a  public  exhibition  held  usually  in 
one  of  the  large  parks.  In  Newark  there  are 
thousands  of  mothers,  fathers  and  young  people 

162 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

who  have  come  to  look  forward  to  the  August 
afternoon  upon  which  the  school  children  will  en- 
tertain them  with  Indian  club  drills,  gymnastic 
feats,  marching  and  folk  dancing  in  gay  costumes 
on  the  velvety  sward  of  the  beautiful  Branch 
Brook  Park.  The  close  of  the  term  in  New  York 
City  is  marked  with  public  entertainments  in  each 
district,  some  given  in  armories  and  others  in 
large  parks.  The  program  consists  of  singing, 
athletic  sports,  calisthenics,  drills  and  folk  dances. 

APPARATUS 

The  experience  of  the  playground  workers  in 
New  York  City  shows  that  it  is  not  essential  to 
have  expensive  or  elaborate  apparatus.  Lrvejy 
games  are  what  appeal  to  children  and  these  can 
be  carried  on  by  clever  play  leaders  on  groundsv 
which  have  a  very  slight  equipment.  Cincinnati  ^ 
has  provided  twenty-five  of  its  school  yards  with 
such  simple  apparatus  as  jumping  standards, 
horizontal  bars,  and  sand-piles  placed  in  cement 
beds.  ^In  Cleveland  the  equipment  of  each  of  the 
school  playgrounds  consists  of:  Six  rope  swings, 
six  teeters,  sand  pit,  frame  swing  for  little  folks, 
basket  ball  outfit,  tether  ball  equipment,  volley 
ball  outfit,  standard  for  high  jumping,  spring 
board,  playground  balls,  and  materials  for  sewing, 
basket  making  and  raffia  work. 

A  satisfactory  set  of  apparatus  was  put  up 
in  a  certain  school  yard  in  Los  Angeles,  at  a  to- 
tal cost  of  about  1450.  It  consists  of  swings, 

163 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ladders,  bars,  rings,  teeter  boards,  and  May  pole, 
volley  ball  outfit  and  a  croquet  set.  In  many 
playgrounds  the  superintendent  or  head  workers 
are  able  to  plan  and  make  a  large  part  of  the 
apparatus  themselves,  thus  effecting  a  great 
economy  in  the  cost  of  equipment.  Following 
this  plan  East  Orange  was  able  to  fit  up  five  of 
its  school  yards  with  an  outlay  of  about  $800. 
Each  yard  was  provided  with  three  baby  ham- 
mock swings,  four  larger  swings,  four  teeter 
boards,  a  self  propelling  merry-go-round,  a  chil- 
dren's bamboo  slide,  and  a  sand  box. 

The  apparatus  enumerated  below  was  entirely 
home-made  and  was  used  with  satisfactory  re- 
sults in  Scranton,  Pennsylvania. 

i  shoot  the  chutes 

4  box  swings  for  small  children  under  shelter 

4  sand  bins  for  small  children  under  shelter 

4  large  swings 

i  horizontal  bar 

3  teeters 

i  jump  pit 

1  basket  ball  ground  and  equipment 

2  quoit  grounds 

Bean  bags,  skipping  ropes,  etc. 
The  expense  of  equipment  was: 

Bracket  for  lamps,  wires,  etc $27-55 

Hauling 3.88 

Keys  for  strong  box .30 

Carpenter  and  laborer 7°-73 

Lumber 96-77 

Incidentals 1.86 

Rope,  pails,  dippers,  etc I2-57 

Total $213.66 

164 


TRAINED  IN  NEWARK  PLAY  SCHOOLS 


NEWARK   BOYS  EXHIBITING  FOR  THE  FAMILY 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

There  are  many  parts  of  an  equipment  which 
can  be  easily  secured  through  donations.  The 
Pittsburgh  woman's  clubs  gave  1600  bean  bags 
to  the  local  playground  association.  Bathing 
facilities  might  almost  be  classed  with  gymnasium 
apparatus,  as  those  who  exercise  actively  require 
a  bath  afterwards  for  the  sake  of  mere  physical 
comfort.  Many  school  buildings  are  already 
equipped  with  baths  in  the  basement  and  these 
are  generally  used  in  connection  with  the  play- 
ground work.  If  none  exist,  inexpensive  and 
satisfactory  showers,  as  has  been  said,  can  be  rigged 
up  by  attaching  a  nozzle,  like  that  of  a  sprinkler, 
to  an  overhead  water  pipe.  One  out  of  every 
sixteen  of  the  children  who  frequent  the  Buffalo 
play  centers  use  the  baths. 

ADMINISTRATION 

As  an  experiment  the  Newark  Board  of  Educa- 
tion left  open  to  the  public  during  the  summer  all 
its  school  yards  which  were  without  apparatus 
or  supervised  play  activities.  Hardly  any  chil- 
dren visited  these  yards,  many  not  having  a  sin- 
gle child  in  them  all  day  long.  A  successful  play- 
ground cannot  be  run  without  skilled  play  lead- 
ers, and  it  is  just  as  true  in  the  yard  as  it  is  in 
the  class  room  that  wherever  you  have  a  weak 
teacher  you  will  have  a  dull  and  diminishing 
group  of  children. 

The  New  York  Board  of  Education  holds  special 
examinations  every  winter  to  license  candidates 

,65 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

for  the  various  positions  to  be  filled  during  the 
summer.  In  the  selection  of  play  instructors 
preference  is  given  to  those  who  have  had  previous 
experience,  but  novices  are  taken  as  assistants. 
Throughout  the  country  there  is  usually  no  dis- 
crimination on  account  of  sex,  both  men  and 
women  being  needed  on  the  staff.  In  Buffalo, 
where  the  playgrounds  were  at  one  time  under  the 
health  department,  there  was  at  the  outset  of  the 
work  only  one  woman  on  the  force.  She  divided 
her  time  and  attention  among  the  different  play- 
grounds but  the  large  attendance  of  girls  ulti- 
mately necessitated  more  women  supervisors. 

In  most  cities  it  is  customary  for  the  directors 
or  supervisors  to  hold  weekly  meetings  to  discuss 
future  plans.  Sometimes  they  are  held  in  the 
mornings  and  vacation  school  classes  are  conducted 
in  the  yard  for  the  purpose  of  teaching  new  games 
and  discussing  new  methods  of  discipline  and 
ways  of  controlling  large  crowds  of  children. 
The  Pittsburgh  Playground  Association  organizes 
a  two-days'  institute  prior  to  the  opening  of  the 
playgrounds  and  also  holds  weekly  teachers' 
meetings  throughout  the  summer.  In  Baltimore, 
applicants  for  positions  in  the  summer  playgrounds 
are  required  to  enter  the  winter  training  classes 
which  hold  meetings  one  evening  each  week  from 
January  to  May.  Instruction  is  given  in  marching, 
team  and  gymnastic  games,  rhythmic  dances, 
story  telling,  songs,  and  occupation  work.  Fre- 
quent addresses  are  also  made  by  prominent 

1 66 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

playground  workers.  In  1908  the  course  in- 
cluded a  series  of  folk  and  rhythmic  dances  given 
by  a  representative  from  the  Teachers'  College 
of  New  York. 

One  season  in  New  York  there  were  two  play- 
grounds which  were  so  finely  organized  and  con- 
ducted that  they  were  held  up  as  models,  and 
principals  who  wished  to  improve  their  work 
gained  many  ideas  by  visiting  them.  Another 
year  so  many  new  teachers  were  appointed  that 
the  supervisor  was  obliged  to  hold  a  daily  morn- 
ing conference  which  he  conducted  like  a  play- 
ground, using  the  new  men  as  pupils. 

The  children  who  enter  the  Montclair,  New 
Jersey,  playground  are  required  before  receiving 
the  badge  of  membership  to  sign  an  agreement 
not  to  fight,  swear,  or  smoke  on  the  grounds,  and 
to  assist  and  obey  the  directors  in  every  way. 
Discipline  was  helped  out  in  a  school  in  Rochester 
by  the  following  mottoes  which  were  painted  on 
the  fence  surrounding  the  playground: 

Self-control  is  help. 

The  fellow  who  needs  watching  is  a  slave. 

Noise  is  no  measure  of  brain. 

Every  fellow  here  has  a  right  to  a  help. 

The  good  name  of  Number  9  depends  on  you. 

Better  lose  than  cheat. 

Try  'anyway. 

A  common  method  of  enrolling  children  in 
some  places  is  by  taking  their  names  and  dis- 
tributing playground  buttons;  newcomers  are 

167 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

then  readily  distinguished,  and  a  child  found 
without  a  button  is  asked  to  give  his  name. 
The  other  children  also  assist  by  telling  of  new- 
comers. 

On  the  Passaic,  New  Jersey,  playgrounds  a 
novel  method  was  employed  to  command  atten- 
tion and  to  insure  general  control.  Two  shots 
from  a  pistol  brought  all  of  the  children  on  a 
dead  run  to  the  club  house,  where  they  lined  up. 
The  director  then  gave  his  orders  and  a  single 
shot  sent  them  flying  away  to  obey  them. 

FORMS  OF  ORGANIZATION 

In  Auburn,  New  York,  the  various  parent- 
teachers'  associations  connected  with  the  public 
schools  combined  for  the  purpose  of  carrying  on 
playground  work.  They  appointed  a  committee 
which  collected  money  from  fraternities,  labor 
organizations,  mothers'  clubs  and  individuals. 
It  engaged  a  director  and  assistants,  secured  the 
use  of  public  school  yards  (and  several  other  spaces 
as  well),  equipped  them  with  apparatus  and  main- 
tained a  successful  work.  This  is  a  typical 
instance  of  school  playground  administration  in 
its  elemental  form.  The  essential  features  are 
the  initiation  and  support  by  a  voluntary  or- 
ganization with  the  loan  of  the  school  grounds  as 
the  only  element  of  official  co-operation.  Work 
of  this  type  is  common  throughout  the  country. 
The  body  that  organizes  the  movement  may 
be  a  civic  club,  a  patriotic  or  an  improvement 

1 68 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

society;  whatever  it  is,  it  is  generally  composed 
of  women. 

In  Madison,  New  Jersey,  the  Civic  Association 
and  the  Thursday  Morning  Club  formed  a  com- 
mittee which  employed  a  paid  supervisor,  got 
voluntary  assistants,  and  conducted  playgrounds 
in  the  school  yards  (as  well  as  in  a  local  athletic 
field).  In  this  instance  the  work  was  partly 
supported  by  an  appropriation  from  the  common 
council.  In  Montclair,  a  similar  undertaking 
was  started  and  carried  on  by  a  chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  the  board 
of  education  bearing  half  of  the  expense. 

The  Children's  Playground  Association  of  Balti- 
more, enters  into  a  definite  contract  with  the  city  to 
maintain  a  certain  number  of  playgrounds  for  so 
many  weeks  and  receives  in  compensation  a  fixed 
sum  of  money.  It  also  receives  contributions 
from  private  individuals,  churches,  schools,  clubs, 
social  settlements,  and  business  firms.  The  school 
board  gives  the  use  of  school  yards,  one  room  in 
each  building  for  storage  during  the  summer,  and 
allows  the  association's  training  class  to  meet  in 
two  high  schools  and  use  their  gymnasiums. 
The  association  pays  for  the  janitor  service. 

The  Pittsburgh  Playground  Association  re- 
ceives large  appropriations  from  the  Central 
Board  of  Education  as  well  as  the  use  of  buildings 
and  grounds.  In  Los  Angeles,  the  playground 
work  is  conducted  by  a  municipal  commission 
which  makes  use  of  school  yards  in  addition  to 

169 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

parks  for  its  work.  The  apparatus  is  left  upon 
the  grounds  throughout  the  school  year  and  dur- 
ing that  period  the  school  department  employs 
one  of  its  teachers  at  each  ground  to  be  in  charge 
after  school  hours  and  on  Saturday  afternoons. 
The  shower  baths  and  kindergarten  rooms  at 
some  of  the  schools  are  also  used.  The  city  bears 
the  burden  of  the  expense  for  the  play  centers, 
though  private  contributions  are  also  made. 

In  Syracuse,  New  York,  the  park  commission  has 
provided  a  site  adjacent  to  one  of  the  school  yards, 
equipped  it  with  apparatus,  and  furnished  a  man 
to  organize  ball  games  among  the  men  and  older 
boys.  With  the  purpose  of  convincing  the 
municipal  officials  of  the  value  of  more  complete 
supervision,  the  Solvay  Guild,  a  voluntary  organ- 
ization, has  employed  a  woman  supervisor  and 
two  women  assistants  to  direct  the  play  of  the 
girls  and  younger  boys,  a  plan  which  is  now  in 
the  way  of  realization. 

The  Providence  playground  work  carried  on 
(in  parks  as  well  as  school  yards)  by  a  committee 
of  the  Common  Council  of  which  the  mayor  is 
chairman  is  supported  entirely  by  the  city.  In 
Indianapolis  it  is  in  the  hands  of  a  commis- 
sion consisting  of  two  members  appointed  by 
the  school  commissioners,  two  by  the  park  com- 
missioners, and  a  fifth  appointed  by  the 
mayor. 

The  playgrounds  of  Boston  are  in  charge  of 
the  head  of  the  school  department  of  hygiene, 

170 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

part  of  the  expense  being  borne  by  an  appropria- 
tion from  the  park  commission. 

In  New  York  the  board  of  education  playground 
organization  is  under  the  direction  of  a  district 
superintendent,  who  is  also  assigned  to  vacation 
schools  and  evening  recreation  centers.  The 
Newark  school  playgrounds  are  supervised  by  the 
director  of  physical  training,  while  in  Cleveland 
one  of  the  regular  day  school  principals  is  ap- 
pointed as  supervisor  of  the  summer  schools  and 
playgrounds  for  the  vacation  season. 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUND  EXPENDITURES 

During  the  season  of  1909  it  cost  Pensacola, 
Florida,  $306  to  maintain  four  school  play- 
grounds. Newark  spent  $14,657  to  maintain 
seventeen,  and  in  1908  ninety-four  play  centers 
in  New  York  City  required  the  expenditure  of 
$74,475.23.  These  figures  illustrate  the  financial 
range  of  the  school  playground  work  of  the 
country.  It  costs  the  taxpayers  of  New  York 
City  three  cents  to  give  a  child  one  afternoon  of 
play  in  its  school  yards. 

The  expensiveness  of  playground  work  in  gen- 
eral is  dependent  upon  the  amount  and  kinds 
of  apparatus  and  the  number  of  employes  and 
the  amount  of  their  salaries.  In  many  cities, 
especially  where  the  movement  is  new,  volunteer 
workers  can  be  obtained,  the  employment  of 
whom  makes  the  work  less  expensive  but  generally 
also  less  efficient. 

171 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

The  salaries  paid  in   Providence,  and  by  the 
New  York  Board  of  Education,  are  as  follows: 

PROVIDENCE  PLAYGROUND  SALARIES 

Supervisor,  services  prior  to,  dur- 
ing and  after  the  playground 
season $400.00 

Directors,  third  year 2.50  per  day 

second  year 2.25 

new  year 2.00    ' 

Assistants i  .80    ' 

Matron   at  America  Street  School   in 

charge  of  baths 1.50    ' 

Librarians  and  other  assistants i  .00    ' 

Janitors i.oo    ' 

NEW  YORK   BOARD  OF  EDUCATION  PLAYGROUND 
SALARIES 

Supervisors $6.00  per  day 

Principals 4.00  per  session 

Teachers 2.50 

Assistant  teachers 1.75 

Teachers  of  swimming 2.00 

Librarians 1.75 

Pianists 1.75    " 


AUSPICES  UNDER  WHICH  THEY  START 

In  1901  a  committee  of  the  Detroit  Council  of 
Women  went  to  the  aldermen  for  permission  to 
conduct  a  playground  on  the  site  of  an  abandoned 
reservoir.  The  request  was  made  by  the  com- 
mittee in  person,  whereupon  one  of  the  aldermen 
exclaimed,  "Vot  you  vimmins  know  'bout  boys' 
play — no."  The  other  aldermen  were  of  the 
same  opinion  and  permission  was  refused.  The 

172 


I 

Pu 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

committee,  however,  who  did  know  something 
about  boys'  play,  obtained  the  use  of  a  school 
yard  and  maintained  a  free  supervised  playground 
in  it  during  that  summer.  The  next  year  the  school 
board  was  persuaded  to  put  $1200  in  its  budget 
for  playground  work,  but  added  to  the  item 
"  By  request  of  Women."  Women  are  nobody's 
constituents  and  the  item  did  not  pass  the  board 
of  estimate.  Again  the  next  year  the  same  com- 
mittee maintained  the  school  playground  out  of 
funds  supplied  by  friends.  The  following  winter 
they  obtained  a  petition  with  14,000  signatures 
of  men  as  well  as  women  and  presented  it  to  the 
school  board  with  the  request  for  an  appropria- 
tion. The  board  granted  the  appropriation  and 
put  it  in  their  budget.  Through  a  failure  of  a 
bank,  however,  they  were  obliged  to  retrench  and 
the  playground  item  was  among  the  first  to  go, 
although  it  was  restored  after  another  entreaty 
on  the  part  of  the  playground  committee.  A 
campaign  of  education  was  then  waged  in  which 
the  clergy,  the  women's  clubs,  the  societies  and 
the  city  press  got  together  and  aroused  a  public 
sentiment  so  strong  that  the  board  of  estimate 
finally  passed  the  item. 

The  Detroit  playgrounds  were  not  the  first  in 
this  country,  but  they  afford  a  typical  example 
of  the  manner  in  which  most  centers  have  been 
started.  To  the  women's  organizations  throughout 
the  country  more  than  to  any  other  one  agency 
the  children  owe  the  extensive  use  of  school  yards 

'73 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

for  play  purposes.  In  Pittsburgh,  Harrisburg 
and  many  other  Pennsylvania  cities  the  women's 
civic  clubs  initiated  the  agitation  for  these  centers. 
In  Montclair  it  was  a  chapter  of  the  Daughters 
of  the  American  Revolution,  in  Buffalo  a  social 
settlement,  in  Lexington  the  Civic  League  of  the 
Women's  Club  which  began  the  playground  work. 

In  Somerville,  Massachusetts,  the  work  was 
begun  with  the  help  of  a  leading  corporation  which 
supplied  the  director  and  some  inexpensive  appa- 
ratus. I  n  Rochester  the  money  which  the  pupils  of 
one  of  the  public  schools  had  accumulated  from 
annual  fairs  was  used  to  maintain  a  playground 
in  one  of  the  school  yards.  The  children,  teachers 
and  Child  Study  Circle  of  a  Los  Angeles  public 
school  by  means  of  an  entertainment  raised  the 
sum  of  1 1  oo  which  was  given  to  the  playground 
department  towards  the  equipment  of  a  school 
yard. 

The  agitation  for  larger  play  opportunities  for 
the  children  of  the  crowded  districts  of  Phila- 
delphia was  begun  at  a  meeting  held  during  the 
winter  of  1894  in  the  house  of  Mrs.  J.  P.  Lundy,  a 
prominent  member  of  both  the  Civic  Club  and  the 
City  Parks  Association.  The  following  summer 
the  latter  organization  opened  one  playground. 
The  Civic  Club  became  interested  and  by  means  of 
public  meetings,  petitions,  and  the  securing  of  the 
endorsements  of  other  associations,  was  able  to 
prod  the  Board  of  Education  to  action.  During 
July  and  August  of  1895  four  public  school  yards, 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

equipped  with  material  and  apparatus  and  in 
charge  of  trained  kindergartners,  were  thrown 
open  to  the  children.  The  undertaking  was  so 
successful  that  each  year  the  number  of  these 
yards  has  been  increased  and  the  appropriations 
for  the  summer  of  1910  provided  for  the  main- 
tenance of  sixty-five  playgrounds  on  school 
premises  under  the  director  of  physical  education. 
Thus  the  movement  which  was  started  in  a 
private  house  and  fostered  by  voluntary  associa- 
tions has  become  city-wide  in  its  extent.  The 
Philadelphia  Playground  Association  at  its  first 
annual  field  day,  June  20,  1908,  had  5,600  boys 
and  girls  on  one  field  at  one  time,  playing  games, 
drilling,  running  and  jumping.  In  July,  1910,  the 
Common  Council  ordained  the  formation  of  a 
permanent  "Public  Playgrounds  Committee,  to 
have  charge  of  and  manage"  the  various  play- 
grounds and  recreation  centers  of  the  city. 

EFFECTS 

"To  provide  a  probation  district  with  adequate 
play  facilities  is  coincident  with  a  reduction  in 
delinquency  of  from  twenty-eight  to  seventy  per 
cent,  or  forty-four  per  cent  as  an  average." 
This  is  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Allan  T.  Burns  after 
a  systematic  study  of  juvenile  court  records  and 
the  geographical  distribution  of  delinquents  with 
reference  to  the  parks  and  playgrounds  of  Chicago. 
That  the  establishment  of  play  centers  causes  a 
marked  decrease  in  lawlessness  among  children 

'75 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

is  the  testimony  of  juvenile  court  officials  through- 
out the  country.  A  Kansas  City  judge  reported 
that  five  months  after  the  provision  of  a  play- 
ground in  his  district  the  number  of  juvenile 
cases  brought  before  him  fell  off  seventy-five  per 
cent.  Judge  Caldwell  of  Cincinnati  says,  "It 
has  been  our  universal  experience  that  in  those 
districts  where  parks  and  playgrounds  have  been 
established  there  has  been  a  decided,  a  remarkable 
decrease  in  the  demands  for  the  supervision  of  the 
juvenile  court  over  the  child-life  of  that  partic- 
ular neighborhood/7  Judge  DeLacy  of  Washing- 
ton also  declares  that  he  has  observed  less  viola- 
tion of  law  in  the  neighborhood  of  playgrounds, 
although  he  very  properly  credits  the  improve- 
ment to  those  that  are  "efficiently  supervised." 

Another  obvious  though  incalculable  effect  of 
the  provision  of  play  opportunities,  particularly 
in  large  cities,  is  a  lessening  of  the  loss  of  chil- 
dren's lives  due  to  accident  in  the  street  or  to 
their  frequenting  railroad  tracks  and  dangerous 
swimming  places.  After  the  establishment  of 
playgrounds  and  supervised  swimming  pools  in 
Rochester  the  coroner  noticed  a  decided  falling 
off  in  the  accidental  deaths  of  children.  His 
record  for  1905  showed  that  only  three  were 
drowned  in  the  canals  and  other  waters  about 
the  city,  while  the  average  in  other  years  had 
been  fifteen  or  twenty. 

The  Americanizing  influence  of  the  playground 
has  been  very  noticeable  in  cities  which  have  a 

176 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

large  immigrant  population.  Nearly  every  Sat- 
urday afternoon,  a  few  years  ago,  the  West  Side 
district  of  Chicago  was  the  scene  of  rough  and 
tumble  fights  between  Italian  and  Slavic  boys. 
Race  rivalries  and  prejudices  were  commonly  the 
cause  of  the  trouble.  A  playground  and  recreation 
center  was  established.  Now  on  any  Saturday 
afternoon  long  lines  of  Italians  and  Slavs,  as  well 
as  Hungarians,  Scandinavians,  Irish  and  Germans, 
may  be  seen  at  the  door  of  the  swimming  pool, 
awaiting  their  turn  in  peace  and  amity.  On  one 
basket  ball  team  a  German,  a  Jew,  a  Pole  and  an 
Irishman  are  playing  side  by  side — for  the  success 
of  their  team.  In  Buffalo,  Italian  and  German 
basket  ball  teams  are  playing  on  Polish  grounds 
where  hitherto  no  such  assemblage  was  possible 
without  a  fight. 

"The  spirit  of  my  playground/'  said  a  New  York 
principal,  "was  largely  one  of  entertainment. 
I  was  the  hostess,  and  the  children  the  guests. 
Because  of  this,  many  were  the  courtesies  of  which 
I  was  the  recipient.  Newcomers  were  always 
presented,  and  permission  for  privileges  was 
asked,  not  taken/'  The  improvement  in  the 
demeanor  of  the  young  women  who  visit  the  eve- 
ning roof  playgrounds  of  this  city  has  been  very 
marked.  They  show  less  boisterousness  and  more 
regard  for  the  rights  of  others.  The  folk  dances 
bring  into  their  lives  an  atmosphere  of  refinement 
which  they  do  not  find  in  their  work  in  store  or 
shop. 

12  177 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Such  a  premium  is  put  on  babies  at  the  play- 
grounds that  the  older  children  show  an  unwonted 
desire  to  care  for  them.  When  the  school  yards 
of  Cambridge  were  first  opened  in  the  summer- 
time the  attendance  was  so  great  that  some  of  the 
large  boys  were  turned  away,  the  privileges  being 
reserved  for  the  very  little  ones  and  such  older 
children  as  had  charge  of  younger  ones.  In 
about  an  hour  a  third  of  the  boys  who  had  been 
denied  entrance  returned,  each  carrying  a  little 
chap  on  his  arm,  and  plead  to  be  allowed  "to 
mind  baby  in  the  sand."  The  relief  from  the 
care  of  the  toddlers  and  from  the  worry  over 
the  conduct  of  mischievous  children  through  the 
provision  of  safe  and  attractive  play  centers  af- 
fords the  women  of  the  laboring  classes  more  time 
and  energy  for  household  tasks.  Thus,  by  the 
improvement  of  meals  and  the  appearance  of 
the  home,  the  enheartening  of  the  wage-earner 
and  his  consequent  increase  of  efficiency,  are 
set  in  motion  an  endless  succession  of  social 
benefits. 

The  playground  movement  has  greatly  in- 
fluenced school  methods  by  demonstrating  that 
play  is  educational.  Superintendent  Brumbaugh 
of  Philadelphia  voices  an  opinion  growing  more 
general  among  school  men  now-a-days  when  he 
says:  "In  those  schools  that  take  the  largest 
intelligent  interest  in  play  the  discipline  is  im- 
proved and  the  progress  of  the  pupils  in  their 
intellectual  pursuits  is  increased."  The  practical 

178 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

direction  which  this  influence  has  taken  in  re- 
spect to  the  conduct  of  the  day  school  is  seen  in 
the  promotion  of  greater  athletic  and  recreative 
activities  during  the  recess  period.  In  Buffalo, 
with  the  full  co-operation  of  the  school  authorities, 
members  of  the  regular  playground  force  come 
to  the  school  yards  at  recess  time  and  organize 
ring  games  and  other  sports  which  heighten 
greatly  the  value  of  this  period  to  both  pupil  and 
teacher. 

Several  years  ago  in  Pensacola  some  of  the 
teachers  observed  that  the  recess  period  was  not 
yielding  their  pupils  the  proper  results.  The 
boys  were  quarrelsome  and  the  girls  constantly 
caviling.  Both  sexes  were  divided  into  cliques 
between  which  there  were  endless  fracases.  The 
yard  restrictions  were  the  source  of  continual 
friction  and  it  required  the  whole  corps  of  sixteen 
men  and  women  stationed  about  the  grounds 
to  keep  peace.  Finally,  two  teachers  determined 
to  bring  about  a  change.  They  started  in  by 
trying  to  induce  the  children  to  enter  into  games 
instead  of  continuing  to  stand  around  in  groups 
gossiping.  It  took  several  years,  however,  and 
finally  the  assistance  of  a  sympathetic  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
man,  before  the  children  could  be  persuaded  to 
enter  heartily  into  active  sports  and  joyous  play 
during  the  daily  respites  from  class-room  work. 
Now  the  whole  school  has  been  converted  to  the  play 
idea  and  its  recess  games  are  undoubtedly  the 
best  in  the  country.  Under  their  stimulating 

'79 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

influence  a  noticeable  spirit  of  comradery  has 
developed  between  the  teachers  and  pupils. 

Another  way  in  which  the  playground  agita- 
tion has  influenced  the  school  authorities  is  that 
it  encourages  a  larger  use  of  class  rooms  and  yards 
during  the  unoccupied  margin  of  the  day  and  week 
of  the  regular  term.  The  Newark  schools  offer 
opportunities  to  the  girls  to  practice  folk  dancing 
after  school  hours  two  evenings  a  week  through- 
out the  year.  An  increasing  number  of  the  cities 
now  have  their  school  yards  open  all  the  year 
round  after  school  and  on  Saturdays.  In 
Washington  the  school  playgrounds  during  the 
term  are  kept  open  from  3  :oo  p.m.  until  dark 
on  school  days  and  all  day  on  Saturday.  In 
Los  Angeles  six  are  kept  open  evenings  and  Sat- 
urdays throughout  the  year.  In  Rochester  there 
is  one  school  yard  equipped  with  playground 
apparatus  which  with  the  approval  of  the  local 
clergy  is  open  all  day  Sunday;  and  the  Board  of 
Education  is  willing  to  open  others  as  rapidly  as 
the  neighborhoods  desire. 

While  all  the  beneficial  effects  of  a  park  or 
vacant  lot  playground  may  also  be  claimed  for 
the  one  in  a  school  yard,  in  addition  there  are 
several  considerations  which  make  the  latter 
playground  especially  needed,  particularly  dur- 
ing the  vacation  season.  "When  the  schools 
close,  the  business  of  my  court  begins  to  pick 
up/'  said  a  western  judge.  During  the  Chicago 
investigation,  referred  to  above,  it  was  discovered 

180 


SCHOOL    PLAYGROUNDS 

that  so  far  as  the  prevention  of  juvenile  delin- 
quency was  concerned,  the  efficiency  of  a  play- 
ground did  not  extend  much  beyond  the  radius 
of  one-quarter  mile.  Corroboration  of  this  state- 
ment is  made  by  a  Boston  statistician,  who  com- 
putes that  the  usage  of  municipal  playgrounds  and 
baths  is  practically  limited  to  the  radius  of  a  six- 
minute  walk.  In  view  of  these  facts  it  is  not 
strange  that  many  cities  are  finding,  as  Buffalo 
has  found,  that  the  best  results  follow  the  loca- 
tion of  a  playground  in  the  yard  of  or  adjacent 
to  a  public  school.  Teachers  point  out  that  the 
children  who  have  had  the  advantages  of  the  yards 
during  the  vacation  return  to  their  studies  in  the 
fall  much  more  alert  and  ready  for  work.  Whereas 
it  formerly  took  several  months  to  get  them  to 
keep  order,  they  now  take  up  the  school  routine 
without  friction  or  loss  of  time.  These  results  are 
especially  noticeable  in  the  case  of  those  boys  and 
girls  who  have  attended  supervised  playgrounds. 
Here  the  necessity  of  waiting  one's  turn,  of  having 
a  referee  settle  disputes,  of  playing  games  ac- 
cording to  a  program,  is  so  obviously  related  to 
everyone's  enjoyment  that  discipline  becomes 
popular  and  is  supported  most  ardently  some- 
times by  those  who,  in  the  class  room,  have  been 
its  most  constant  foes. 

Besides  the  circumstance  that  the  school  is  the 
natural  and  familiar  center  of  the  activities  of  a 
large  number  of  children,  the  school  yard  has  the 
added  advantage,  as  a  playground  site,  of  shelter 

181 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  toilet  rooms,  shower  baths,  kindergarten  facil- 
ities, and  of  places  for  the  storage  of  supplies,  as 
well  as  an  office  for  the  director  afforded  by  the 
building.  The  school  system  also  has  at  hand,  as 
the  foregoing  accounts  have  demonstrated,  the  or- 
ganization necessary  for  successfully  carrying  on 
playground  activities. 

The  popular  demand  for  playgrounds  has  be- 
come so  insistent  that  many  boards  of  education 
are  now  having  to  buy  additional  lots  near  the 
school  houses  at  greatly  increased  expense. 
The  authorities  are  beginning  to  exercise  the 
foresight  of  not  erecting  buildings  on  sites  which 
do  not  furnish  sufficient  space  for  ample  play 
facilities.  It  is  much  cheaper  to  buy  all  the  land 
that  is  needed  when  the  school  is  first  built  than 
to  do  so  after  the  real  estate  values  in  the  neigh- 
borhood have  been  greatly  increased  by  improve- 
ments. In  the  state  of  Washington  a  bill  was 
recently  introduced  requiring  that  all  new  sites 
for  school  buildings  provide,  as  a  minimum,  one 
hundred  square  feet  of  play  space  per  child. 
Although  it  failed  to  pass,  it  is  significant  that 
such  a  bill  was  presented  and  that  it  had  the 
support  of  the  superintendent  of  public  instruc- 
tion. The  Virginia  State  Board  of  Education  has 
brought  about  such  a  strong  sentiment  in  this 
respect  that  superintendents  rarely  approve  any 
sites  which  do  not  afford  suitable  playgrounds. 

The  complete  equipment  and  utilization  of  all 
school  yards  as  playgrounds  will  not  satisfy,  ac- 

182 


SCHOOL   PLAYGROUNDS 

cording  to  the  most  enlightened  civic  policy,  the 
average  city's  obligations  in  the  way  of  providing 
play  facilities  for  its  children.  Nevertheless, 
their  many  advantages  make  them  excellent 
openings  for  inserting  the  wedge  of  the  play- 
ground movement,  and  no  matter  how  thickly 
the  municipality  may  afterwards  strew  its  field 
houses  and  recreation  centers,  there  will  always 
be  educational  and  hygienic  reasons  for  having 
grounds  for  organized  play  close  to  the  class 
room. 

REFERENCES 

BANCROFT,  JESSIE  H.r   Games  for  the  Playground,  Home,  School 
and  Gymnasium.    The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York,  1909. 
456pp.     Price  1 1.50. 
JOHNSON,  GEORGE  ELLSWORTH:    Education  by  Plays  and  Games. 

Ginn  and  Company,  New  York,  1907.     234  pp.     Price  $  .90. 
LELAND,  ARTHUR  AND  LORNA  H.:   Playground  Technique  and  Play- 
craft.    The  F.  A.  Bassette  Company,  Springfield,  Mass.,  1909. 
284  pp.     Price  $2.50. 

MERO,   EVERETT   B.:    American  Playgrounds,  Their  Construction, 
Equipment,    Maintenance   and    utility.    American    Gymnasia 
Company,  Boston,  Mass.     270  pp.     Price  f  1.50. 
Each  of  the  three  books  last  named  contains  an  extensive  bibli- 
ography where  further  references  may  be  found.    See  also  the  annual 
reports  of  the  playground  associations  and  school  superintendents 
of  the  cities  named  in  the  text. 


VII 

PUBLIC  LECTURES  AND  ENTERTAIN- 
MENTS 


CHAPTER  VII 

PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTER- 
TAINMENTS 

A  GLOOMY  edifice  with  deep   black  spaces 
for  windows,  walled  in  by  a  high  fence 
and  an  impregnable  gate,  is  the  appear- 
ance too  commonly  presented  by  public  schools 
after   nightfall.     But   with   a   certain   Cleveland 
building  it  was  different.     A  broad  walk  led  from 
the  wide-open  gate  to  an  illuminated  entrance, 
while  from  the  large  front  windows  came  shafts 
of  hospitable  light. 

Curious  to  know  what  was  going  on  inside  I 
fell  in  behind  a  knot  of  plainly  clad  people  who 
were  entering  at  the  front  door.  In  the  lobby 
nobody  sold  or  demanded  tickets,  but  a  work- 
ingman  in  front  of  me  held  a  card  on  which 
was  printed,  "To  Parents.  You  are  invited 
.  .  ."  His  manner  was  hesitant  and  uneasy, 
but,  as  he  entered  the  attractive  assembly  room 
and  the  luxury  of  its  niched  statues  and  tropical 
plants  reached  his  senses,  I  saw  him  straighten 
up  and  his  honest  face  assumed  the  look  of  a 
strange  new  proprietorship.  This  noble  building 
and  its  contents  were  his  own.  He  was  not  an 
outsider  here.  His  credentials  were  in  his  hand. 
He  quickly  jammed  them  into  his  pocket,  how- 

187 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ever,  when  a  boy  stepped  forward  with  "Come 
this  way,  father.  I'll  show  you  a  seat."  Then 
his  face  beamed. 

The  people  who  sat  near  me  nodded  constantly 
to  friends  in  the  vicinity.  A  few  very  small 
children  were  evidently  with  their  parents.  Now 
and  then  one  of  the  class  of  white-gowned  girls 
who  occupied  seats  together  near  the  platform, 
would  come  down  the  aisle  and  whisper  to  a 
matronly  woman,  who  would  perhaps  covertly 
hand  her  a  handkerchief  or  shake  her  head 
for  a  decisive  "No!"  Presently  one  of  the 
ladies  on  the  platform  rose  and  stood  by  the 
speaker's  desk.  A  hush  came  over  the  audience. 
"  She's  the  president  of  our  club,"  a  woman 
whispered.  The  presiding  officer  expressed  her 
pleasure  at  the  large  number  who  had  come 
and  hoped  that  they  would  tell  their  friends 
of  the  succeeding  entertainments.  One  week 
from  that  night  they  were  to  hear  a  lecture 
on  the  "Spirit  of  Our  National  Holidays," 
illustrated  by  stereopticon  views,  by  Mrs.  Elroy 
M.  Avery,  who  would  appear  before  them 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Western  Reserve 
Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution. Before  listening  to  the  speaker  of  the 
evening,  they  were  to  have  music  by  pupils  of 
the  eighth  grade. 

The  white-gowned  class  then  filed  upon  the 
platform  and  sang  a  lullaby  with  such  success 
that  they  were  obliged  to  respond  to  an  encore. 

1 88 


PUBLIC   LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

Then  a  boy's  chorus  contributed  an  enjoyable 
song,  and  the  musical  part  of  the  program  was 
completed.  The  presiding  officer  announced  that 
it  was  the  extraordinary  good  fortune  of  the  audi- 
ence to  have  with  them  that  evening  a  clergyman 
who  ....  Immediately  I  spotted  him  on 
the  platform.  What,  a  Protestant!  There  was 
no  mistaking  his  cloth.  I  looked  around  the 
audience,  which  was  denominationally  mixed  in  a 
way  only  possible  in  a  city  with  a  large  immigrant 
population.  Did  such  use  of  public  buildings 
"go"  in  Cleveland?  The  title  of  his  address  was 
"Give  the  Boy  Another  Chance."  My  fears 
began  to  recede  and  before  he  had  finished  his 
plea  the  audience  gave  a  demonstration  of  the 
fact  that  such  things  did  "go"  with  them. 

The  audience  took  a  long  time  to  disperse.  The 
little  groups  into  which  it  first  broke  had  a  great 
deal  to  talk  and  laugh  about.  Then  they  dis- 
solved and  formed  other  combinations  which 
likewise  laughed  and  talked.  Here  and  there 
were  teachers,  to  whom  a  succession  of  pupils 
were  bringing  their  fathers  and  mothers.  Up  in 
front  the  clergyman  who  had  spoken  was  receiv- 
ing the  patronesses  and  their  husbands.  Reluc- 
tantly the  people  gave  way  to  the  janitor  waiting 
to  close  up. 

These  lectures  and  entertainments  in  public 
school  buildings  have  become  a  regular  part  of 
Cleveland's  evening  amusement  program  for  the 
winter.  The  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution 

189 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

provide  a  score  or  so  of  programs  in  as  many  dif- 
ferent schools,  supplemented  by  patriotic  music  by 
seventh  and  eighth  grade  pupils.  The  Fortnightly 
Musical  Club  gives  a  dozen  concerts,  and  the 
Rubinstein  semi-chorus  appears  in  recitals.  The 
normal  school  and  high  school  glee  clubs  con- 
tribute music,  and  public  spirited  citizens  who 
have  traveled  deliver  illustrated  lectures  on  what 
they  have  seen  in  their  journeys.  The  Anti- 
Tuberculosis  League  furnishes  illustrated  talks. 

An  interesting  part  of  the  Cleveland  program 
is  made  up  of  plain  talks  to  the  parents  by  distin- 
guished citizens.  The  school  principals  tell  how  the 
parent  and  teacher  can  co-operate;  the  business 
man  speaks  upon  "The  Boy  in  Business  and  Some 
Things  He  Must  Know";  clergymen  tell  "How 
Boys  Become  Men,"  or  discuss  the  question 
"Does  a  Child  Need  Discipline  or  Sympathy?"; 
representatives  of  the  Good  Government  clubs 
speak  on  "The  Child  and  the  Citizen."  The 
librarian  explains  how  the  library  can  benefit  the 
child;  a  local  judge  shows  how  habit  makes  the 
boy;  a  prominent  banker  speaks  on  the  practice  of 
saving,  and  a  well-known  physician  addresses  the 
parents  upon  the  need  of  wholesome  pleasures  for 
children.  The  Western  Reserve  University  pro- 
fessors give  extension  lectures  upon  such  topics 
as  "The  Great  English  Novelists,"  "The  Indus- 
trial Corporation"  or  "Trade  Unionism  and  the 
Labor  Problem."  In  short,  the  annual  program 
draws  upon  all  the  intellectual,  artistic  and  civic 

190 


PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

resources  of  the  city.  During  a  recent  winter, 
one  hundred  of  these  free  lectures  and  entertain- 
ments were  given  to  Cleveland  audiences,  aggre- 
gating over  30,000  persons,  without  one  cent  of 
cost  beyond  the  expense  of  heating  and  lighting 
the  school  auditoriums,  printing,  running  stere- 
opticons,  and  some  minor  expenses  of  service. 

This  work  is  carried  on  by  the  Committee  on 
Lectures  and  Social  Center  Development  of  the 
Board  of  Education,  of  which  committee  Mrs.  Sarah 
E.  Hyre  is  the  chairman.  Before  her  marriage  Mrs. 
Hyre  was  a  teacher,  and  since  then  she  has  had 
two  sons  in  the  Cleveland  schools.  Her  interest 
in  educational  matters,  developed  through  pro- 
fessional experience  and  stimulated  by  parental 
responsibility,  led  to  her  election  as  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Education.  She  was  also  a  member 
of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution, 
and  it  occurred  to  her  that  the  education  in 
patriotism  that  her  society  wished  to  advance 
could  be  promoted  by  means  of  entertain- 
ments furnished  by  the  society  and  held  in 
school  buildings.  At  that  time  the  Cleveland 
Board  of  Education  had  not  enacted  any  rules 
covering  the  observance  of  holidays  in  the 
schools  or  defined  the  uses  which  could  be  made 
of  the  school  buildings.  Therefore  in  March, 
1905,  a  committee  of  the  board,  of  which  Mrs. 
Hyre  was  chairman,  prepared  a  set  of  regulations 
covering  these  two  points,  which  were  adopted  by 


191 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

the  board.     They  contained  the  following  para- 
graph: 

USE  OF  BUILDINGS.  The  use  of  school  build- 
ings for  all  educational  purposes,  other  than  the 
usual  school  routine,  shall  be  at  the  discretion  of 
the  Superintendent  of  Instruction  and  the  Director 
of  Schools,  providing  that  no  more  than  two  paid 
entertainments  be  given  in  any  one  school  district 
during  the  year,  and  provided  further  that  there 
should  be  no  house  to  house  solicitation  for  the  sale 
of  tickets  for  such  entertainments.  In  all  other 
cases  the  Board  of  Education  shall  give  special  per- 
mission for  the  use  of  the  school  building. 

Mrs.  Hyre  begins  in  April  to  make  her  plans 
for  the  following  season.  On  the  opening  of 
school  in  September,  each  principal  is  asked  to 
reserve  certain  dates  for  the  winter  lectures.  As 
these  dates  draw  near,  the  principals  arrange  for 
the  musical  numbers,  if  children  are  to  sing,  send 
out  cards  of  invitation  to  parents,  and  choose  the 
presiding  officers.  The  chairman  of  each  enter- 
tainment is  a  patron  of  the  district,  and  in  some 
wards  the  members  of  the  mothers'  club  connected 
with  the  school  act  as  hostesses.  In  certain  dis- 
tricts the  work  has  met  with  such  hearty  support 
that  the  local  organizations  are  not  only  providing 
a  director  to  attend  to  the  arrangements,  but 
contribute  the  program  as  well. 

The  painstaking  oversight  exercised  by  Mrs. 
Hyre  is  exemplified  by  her  custom,  as  the  date  for 
a  lecture  approaches,  of  telephoning  both  the 
speaker  and  the  principal,  and  of  thus  making 
sure  that  the  engagement  has  not  been  forgotten 

192 


PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

or  the  janitor  left  unadvised  about  the  heat  and 
light.  Having  no  funds  with  which  to  hire 
speakers  with  well-attested  drawing  power,  she 
has  skilfully  selected  topics  of  such  interest  as 
"What  is  a  Man  Worth?"  "The  Habit  of  Being 
on  Time/'  and  "Crossing  the  Bridge  with  our 
Children/'  She  did  not  hit  casually  upon  this 
policy,  but  it  is  the  outcome  of  her  valuable 
experience.  In  the  early  stages  of  the  work  a 
couple  of  dry  lectures  on  "Iron  Ore"  and  "How 
to  Tell  Time  from  the  Sun"  had  temporarily 
almost  disastrous  effects  upon  the  popularity  of 
the  lectures  in  the  locality  where  they  were  given. 
After  that  Mrs.  Hyre  placed  her  dependence  mainly 
upon  subjects  taken  from  everyday  life,  matters 
that  touch  the  family,  the  school  or  the  purse. 
Such  topics  interest  people,  even  if  they  are  not 
presented  by  orators  of  conspicuous  ability. 

The  Cleveland  public  lectures  committee  has 
steadily  refused  the  use  of  school  buildings  to 
those  desiring  to  discuss  socialistic  or  other 
partisan  policies.  This  strict  regard  for  deeply- 
settled  opinions  has  been  a  strong  element  in  the 
permanence  of  the  support  given  to  the  work  by 
the  community. 

After  one  of  the  illustrated  talks  on  "  How  We 
May  Aid  the  Fight  Against  Tuberculosis,"  the 
committee  received  forty  letters  from  the  pupils 
of  one  school  telling  of  the  sanitary  benefits  in 
their  homes  which  had  followed  as  a  result  of  the 
lecture.  This  is  an  illustration  of  the  enlighten- 
«3  193 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ment  upon  matters  related  to  the  physical  and 
civic  health  of  the  city  resulting  from  this  work. 
It  is  now  attracting  so  much  attention  that  Mrs. 
Hyre  is  receiving  many  requests  for  information, 
and  invitations  to  tell  about  it  upon  the  lecture 
platform.  Recently  the  methods  of  the  work 
were  investigated  by  a  committee  from  the 
Chicago  Board  of  Education,  and  their  report 
ended  with  a  strong  recommendation  that  Chicago 
introduce  a  similar  system  of  lectures. 

The  Cleveland  system  has  been  described  not 
because  it  is  typical  of  the  public  lecture  work 
of  the  country, — since  it  is  a  unique  system, — 
but  because  it  well  illustrates  the  various  ways 
in  which  this  method  of  employing  idle  school 
buildings  benefits  the  public;  at  the  same  time  it 
serves  as  an  example  of  educational  enterprise 
that  might  easily  be  copied  by  any  American 
community. 

FORMS  OF  THE  LECTURE  AND  ENTERTAINMENT  ORGAN- 
IZATIONS WHICH  USE  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS 

"On  Monday,  February  8,  at  7.30  p.m.,  at  the 

High  School,  Dr. of  the  Normal  School, 

will  begin  a  series  of  Lecture  Classes  on  'The 
Work  of  the  School  in  Society.'  .  .  .  This 
course  is  intended  especially  for  the  teachers/' 

This  announcement  appeared  not  long  ago  on 
the  school  bulletin  boards  of  a  certain  middle- 
west  city.  It  discloses  the  school  lecture  move- 
ment in  its  embryonic  form.  To  improve  the 

194 


PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

work  of  the  teaching  force  was  the  motive  which 
gave  rise  to  it,  and  the  first  school  superintendents 
who  called  in  pedagogical  experts  and  college 
professors  after  school  to  instruct  and  inspire 
the  teachers  are  responsible  for  its  beginning. 
While  the  lectures  announced  above  represent  an 
early  type,  the  school  work  of  the  city  where  they 
are  given  is  not  to  be  regarded  as  primitive  in 
character.  This  is  only  one  of  the  many  courses 
and  entertainments  annually  offered  in  the  school 
buildings  of  that  city.  These  pedagogical  lectures 
still  survive  in  school  systems  because  they  serve 
a  useful  purpose.  The  lecturer  is  usually  paid  a 
fee  and  the  expense  is  borne  by  the  school  board. 
The  public  is  not  denied  admission,  but  the 
technical  character  of  the  addresses  ordinarily 
keeps  it  away. 

More  modern  in  origin,  but  not  less  loosely  or- 
ganized, is  that  scheme  of  miscellaneous  lectures 
and  entertainments  which  are  given  occasionally 
in  school  buildings  under  various  auspices.  A 
pupils'  chorus  sings  "The  Creation"  and  devotes 
the  proceeds  to  the  purchase  of  pictures  and  casts 
to  adorn  school  walls.  The  French  class  of  the 
high  school  presents  "  Le  Bourgeois  Gentilhomme," 
and  bestows  its  door-receipts  on  the  school  paper. 
Some  traveling  quartettes,  a  company  of  glee 
singers,  a  cartoonist,  a  humorist  and  several 
professional  lecturers  are  engaged  to  appear  in  a 
winter  entertainment  course  in  the  high  school, 
and  the  expenses  are  met  by  selling  tickets.  A 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

group  of  public  spirited  citizens  joins  with  the 
school  superintendent  to  promote  a  series  of 
first-class  musical  concerts  for  which  an  admission 
fee  of  ten  cents  is  charged.  Sometimes  the  school 
board  allows  clubs  to  give  lectures  in  the  as- 
sembly hall  on  the  understanding  that  they  ad- 
mit the  public  generally.  To  meet  expenses  they 
are  allowed  to  take  up  a  "silver  offering/' 

This  same  scheme  includes  free  lectures.  There 
is  the  noon  address  in  the  central  high  school  by 
the  famous  juvenile  court  judge  who  has  been 
persuaded  by  the  women's  civic  club  to  stop  on 
his  way  through  the  city.  An  authority  on  play- 
ground work  lectures  before  the  local  playground 
association  and  such  of  the  citizens  as  have  the 
leisure  at  four  o'clock  to  journey  to  the  high  school, 
on  "The  Playground  as  a  Social  Factor  in  the 
Community."  At  the  conclusion  of  the  lecture, 
questions  are  asked  as  to  the  ways  in  which  people 
can  be  actively  interested  and  the  city  council  be 
induced  to  make  appropriations.  The  Federation 
of  Women's  Clubs  supports  entertainments  on 
Sunday  afternoons  in  school  buildings  for  the 
purpose  of  attracting  people  from  the  cheap 
theatres  and  nickelodeons. 

In  Lawrence,  Massachusetts,  there  is  a  teachers' 
association  under  the  auspices  of  which  a  course 
of  lectures  is  given  every  winter  in  one  of  the 
school  auditoriums.  Their  programs  include  not 
only  such  professional  topics  as  "Some  Ideals  for 
the  Teacher,"  but  those  of  more  general  interest, 

196 


PUBLIC   LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

as  an  "Interpretative  Recital  of  'Othello/" 
To  these  lectures  the  public  is  invited  as  well  as 
the  teachers,  and  in  that  way  the  association  ac- 
complishes its  purpose  "to  develop  a  more  general 
acquaintanceship  .  .  .  between  the  teachers 
and  members  of  the  community." 

Most  of  the  organizations  of  this  sort  employ 
lecturers  of  reputation,  and  the  expense  is  met 
by  assessments  made  upon  the  members.  In 
other  cities,  as  in  Lawrence,  the  superintendent 
of  schools  is  generally  the  president  of  the  as- 
sociation, which  fact  frequently  gives  the  or- 
ganization a  semi-official  character.  The  lectures 
provided  for  under  these  auspices  are  on  a  more 
permanent  basis  than  those  that  depend  upon  the 
initiative  of  the  school  superintendent  alone,  and 
upon  the  contingency,  perhaps,  of  surplus  school 
funds;  and  when  chosen  by  an  association  their 
range  of  subjects  usually  extends  beyond  the 
bounds  of  pedagogy.  This  establishes  them  upon 
a  broader  foundation  of  human  needs  and  in- 
terests. 

Coming  now  to  a  slightly  more  substantial 
form  of  lecture  administration,  an  instance  is 
presented  in  the  work  of  the  Grand  Rapids 
Library  Commission.  Certain  of  its  branch  li- 
braries are  located  in  school  buildings  where 
courses  of  free  evening  lectures  are  given  during 
the  winter  under  the  direction  of  the  library 
officials.  The  topics  are  selected  with  a  view  to 
the  civic  needs,  and  the  attendance  frequently 

'97 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

exceeds  the  seating  capacity  of  the  halls.  "  How 
the  City  Spends  Your  Money"  was  the  title  of  a 
series  of  unusually  instructive  lectures  given  by 
municipal  officials. 

The  Philadelphia  Home  and  School  League 
arranges  courses  by  prominent  scientists  and 
professional  people  upon  subjects  pertaining 
to  community  welfare,  held  in  connection  with 
the  public  meetings  of  the  teacher-parent  socie- 
ties in  the  various  school  houses.  The  Bos- 
ton Home  and  School  Association  has  estab- 
lished a  bureau  which  assists  its  branch  associa- 
tions in  arranging  free  lecture  courses.  Both  of 
these  are  voluntary  organizations,  and  they 
receive  no  aid  from  the  school  authorities  be- 
yond the  use  of  the  school  buildings,  heat 
and  light.  The  lecturers  usually  give  their  ser- 
vices and  the  addresses  are  frequently  supple- 
mented by  music  furnished  by  the  pupils.  For 
certain  of  its  lecture  courses  the  St.  Paul  Insti- 
tute of  Arts  and  Sciences  uses  one  of  the  high 
school  halls.  The  use  of  the  building  is  given 
by  the  school  board,  and  the  expenses  of  the 
lectures  are  met  by  membership  fees  and  the 
sale  of  tickets  to  non-members.  With  organiza- 
tions of  this  class,  the  lecture  work  is  on  a  more 
permanent  basis,  but  it  is  still  either  an  incidental 
activity  or  one  of  a  group  of  activities  receiving 
approximately  equal  attention  and  support. 

Of  the  public  lecture  systems  maintained  by 
boards  of  education,  the  form  administered  by 


PUBLIC    LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

a  committee  of  the  board  has  already  been  pre- 
sented in  the  description  of  the  Cleveland  work. 
Other  forms  may  be  touched  upon.  In  Rochester 
lectures  and  entertainments  constitute  part  of  the 
social  center  work  (see  Chapter  IX),  the  super- 
vision of  which  together  with  tha£  of  playgrounds 
and  vacation  schools  falls  to  one  man.  The  school 
lectures  of  Cincinnati  were  one  year  under  the 
charge  of  the  supervisor  of  physical  training.  In 
Newark  they  are  directed  by  the  Supervisor  of 
Evening  Schools  and  Lectures.  In  1901,  when 
the  Boston  School  Board  established  its  lecture 
system  on  a  firm  footing,  it  asked  one  of  its 
prominent  school  supervisors  to  assume  charge. 
He  was  assisted  by  a  local  director  at  each 
center  who  saw  to  the  advertising  in  his  section 
of  the  city,  arranged  for  the  preservation  of 
order,  and  otherwise  looked  after  the  comfort  of 
the  audience.  Each  of  these  directors  had  had 
a  successful  experience  in  school  administration 
and  was  well  known  in  the  neighborhood  he 
served. 

The  New  York  school  lectures  are  administered 
by  a  department  which  is  co-ordinate  with  that 
of  the  city  superintendent  and  reports  directly  to 
the  Board  of  Education.  Its  head  has  a  perma- 
nent staff  of  assistants  and  a  corps  of  superin- 
tendents and  stereopticon  operators  as  thoroughly 
trained  and  organized  as  the  employes  of  a  modern 
business  corporation. 


199 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 
THE  NEW  YORK  LECTURES 

A  visitor  to  one  of  the  evening  lecture  centers 
sees  first  two  flaring  gas  lamps  illuminating 
a  bulletin  board  and  a  pair  of  quick-yielding 
doors;  then  he  passes  into  a  lobby,  or  perhaps  up 
a  flight  or  two  of  clean  stairs,  animate  with  a  pro- 
cession of  babbling  people,  and  enters  a  sloping, 
amphitheatre-like  auditorium  or  else  a  level,  desk- 
filled  assembly  room  where  a  man  is  busy  with 
rubber  tubes,  copper  tanks,  and  a  machine  on 
a  tripod  which  contains  two  eyes,  one  over  the 
other,  that  look  straight  at  a  square,  white  expanse 
stretched  wall-like  on  the  platform  in  front.  Or 
perhaps,  instead  of  this  bleached  surface,  he 
sees  some  tables  laden  with  test-tubes,  retorts, 
and  wicked  yellow  bottles,  and  nearby  a  young 
man  crushing  gritty  stuff  in  a  mortar;  or  maybe 
a  background  of  charts  shining  with  muscle, 
nerves  and  viscera,  setting  off  an  amiable  skele- 
ton swinging  idly  from  a  nail,  and  a  boy  with 
bandaged  leg  and  head  lying  supine  on  a  table 
amongst  "red  cross"  lint  and  aseptic  cotton. 
Or  in  the  place  of  this  hospital  and  laboratory 
paraphernalia  he  may  confront  an  open  piano 
with  sheet-music  anticipatively  placed.  But  al- 
ways he  finds  a  hushed  audience,  devoid  of 
children,  awaiting  the  terse  introduction  of  the 
speaker  of  the  evening  by  the  official-like  person- 
age in  charge.  These  are  some  of  the  things 
witnessed  between  7:30  and  8:15  on  a  winter's 

200 


COMMUNITY  KEEPING  UP  WITH  SCIENCE,  NEW  YORK 


INSTRUCTION  EVERYBODY  NEEDS 


PUBLIC    LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

evening  at  the  school  lecture  centers  in  New 
York.  A  moment  after  the  latter  hour,  the  doors 
will  be  locked  and  the  door-tender  beyond  the 
reach  of  entreaties. 

Only  1 19  out  of  the  610  buildings  controlled  by 
the  Board  of  Education  are  used  as  lecture  centers, 
but  in  some  fifty  other  buildings,  chiefly  club  halls 
and  churches,  addresses  are  given  under  their 
auspices.  A  staff  of  over  600  lecturers,  from  every 
walk  in  life,  are  employed  in  this  work.  Besides 
a  large  company  of  professors  and  instructors 
representing  fourteen  colleges  and  universities, 
there  are  experts  in  city-planning,  housing,  and 
playgrounds,  authorities  on  explosives,  street- 
cleaning,  and  municipal  water  supply,  art  stu- 
dents who  have  traveled  in  Italy  and  Greece, 
educators  loaded  with  fresh  spoils  from  the 
British  Museum,  distinguished  scientists,  eminent 
jurists,  influential  politicians,  public  spirited  phy- 
sicians and  prominent  citizens  of  all  classes. 

As  for  the  things  they  talk  about,  here  is  a  list 
of  titles  chosen  from  the  program  of  1908-9: 
"Municipal  Cleaning  and  Its  Relation  to  Public 
Health,"  " Housing  in  Europe,"  "Goethe:  Man 
the  Mirror  of  the  World,"  "Walt  Whitman  and 
the  Hope  of  Democracy,"  "  Mohammedanism  and 
the  Crusades,"  "  Uncle  Sam's  Own  Story  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,"  "The  City  Beau- 
tiful, or  the  Planning  and  Embellishment  of 
Cities,"  "How  Shall  a  Girl  Earn  a  Living?" 
"The  Man  That  Is  Down  and  Out,"  "The  Songs 

201 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  Basketry  of  the  North  American  Indians," 
"Applications  of  Electric  Signals,"  "The  Life 
Story  of  the  Honey  Bee,"  "The  Treatment  of 
Shock,  Bleeding,  Burns,  Exposure  to  Cold  and 
Frostbite,"  "Life  in  a  Coal  Breaker,"  "Real 
Cowboy  Life  in  the  Far  West,"  "Street  Life  in 
Paris,"  and  "A  Trip  to  Central  Africa."  Alto- 
gether there  were  1 575  different  topics,  covering 
the  whole  field  of  human  interests,  upon  which 
the  audiences  were  instructed  and  entertained. 

In  one  particular  center,  weekly  lectures  on 
science  were  given  for  seven  years,  thus  affording 
a  relatively  complete  equivalent  of  a  college  educa- 
tion in  that  department  of  knowledge.  A  recent 
annual  program  contained  one  hundred  courses, 
running  from  twenty-eight  to  three  lectures  each, 
many  presented  by  the  same  person,  and  all  of 
them  related  in  subject  and  systematically  de- 
veloped. Professor  Shotwell  gave  twenty-eight 
lectures  on  "Epochs  of  History,"  and  twenty- 
seven  of  the  persons  who  attended  throughout  the 
course  passed  an  examination  and  received  certi- 
ficates of  credit  approved  by  Columbia  Univer- 
sity and  the  supervisor  of  lectures.  Certificates  for 
attendance  and  proficiency  in  examination  were 
also  awarded  at  the  close  of  twenty-eight  lectures 
on  "Economics"  given  by  Professor  Clark  of 
Columbia  University  and  Dr.  Guthrie  of  The 
College  of  the  City  of  New  York.  Audiences 
aggregating  27,460  persons  attended  the  five- 
lecture  courses  on  "First  Aid  to  the  Injured," 

202 


PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

which  were  held  in  thirty-eight  different  centers 
and  required  the  services  of  twelve  physi- 
cian lecturers.  The  final  examinations  were 
passed  by  986  persons.  The  remaining  ninety- 
seven  courses  were  not  followed  by  closing  tests, 
but  in  many  cases  printed  syllabi  were  distributed 
among  the  audience,  and  it  was  the  practice  of  the 
lecturers  to  answer  questions  and  suggest  sources 
of  information  at  the  close  of  each  meeting.  Thus 
it  is  seen  that  the  New  York  lectures  are  not  a 
mere  miscellany  of  serious  addresses  and  frivolous 
entertainments,  but  constitute  a  definitely  planned 
system  of  adult  education. 

That  instruction  for  the  voter  is  not  forgotten 
is  shown  by  the  important  share  of  the  program 
which  is  given  to  the  discussion  of  civic  problems. 
Thirteen  addresses  on  municipal  topics  such  as 
"Docks  and  Ferries/'  "The  Public  Service  Com- 
mission," "The  New  York  Tax  Department," 
and  "Our  New  Water  Supply,"  were  given  a 
year  ago  at  different  centers  by  prominent  city 
officials.  Another  popular  course  of  six  lectures 
dealt  with  the  various  phases  of  Congestion  of 
Population.  The  expert  social  workers  and 
officials  who  gave  this  course,  treated  not  only 
such  sinister  subjects  as  the  "Factories,  Tene- 
ments and  the  Sweating  System"  but  also  the 
constructive,  remedial  forces  existing,  in  "City 
Planning"  and  "Parks  and  Playgrounds."  Dr. 
Henry  M.  Leipziger,  the  head  of  the  New  York 
public  lectifres  for  "working  men  and  working 

203 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

women/'  as  they  were  first  entitled,  believes  that 
"the  great  questions  confronting  our  citizens  are 
in  the  last  analysis  educational/'  and  through 
the  provision  of  such  courses  as  these  he  demon- 
strates his  faith  "  that  politics  treated  as  education 
will  become  freed  from  partisanship." 

The  home  study  of  the  subjects  discussed  was 
stimulated  by  displaying  along  with  the  lecture 
bulletins  the  location  of  the  most  convenient 
branch  of  the  public  library,  where  books  were 
especially  set  apart  for  supplementary  reading. 
A  librarian  wrote:  "At  one  course  on  'The  Far 
East'  books  recommended  for  reading  were  placed 
conspicuously  with  the  result  that  twenty-eight 
books  were  each  consulted  thirty-three  times/' 
All  of  the  science  lectures  were  accompanied  by 
demonstrations  with  apparatus,  and  most  of  the 
travel  lectures  and  those  on  special  subjects  were 
illustrated  with  stereopticon  views,  and  in  a  few 
instances  with  motion  pictures.  At  some,  cos- 
tumes and  exhibits  were  shown. 

If  the  Board  of  Education  lectures  given  dur- 
ing one  year  in  the  five  metropolitan  boroughs 
were  all  offered  on  one  evening,  it  would  re- 
quire approximately  the  total  adult  population 
of  a  city  the  size  of  Chicago  to  provide  the 
customary  audiences.  To  be  more  precise,  the 
aggregate  attendance  at  these  lectures  during 
the  1908-09  season  amounted  to  1,213,116  per- 
sons. And  what  a  cosmopolitan  multitude  they 
were!  Croatian,  Greek,  Russian,  Hebrew,  Sicilian, 

204 


SHAKESPEARE  FOR  THE  PEOPLE  IN   BROOKLYN 


YIDDISH  AUDIENCE  IN  A  NEW  YORK  SCHOOL 


PUBLIC    LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

Lithuanian,  Yankee,  Magyar,  Pole  (pupils  from 
twenty-three  different  racial  groups  attend  one 
of  the  East  Side  schools)  all  participated  in 
the  educational  benefits  derived  from  these 
lectures.  The  Yiddish,  Italians,  and  Germans 
come  in  such  large  numbers  that  special  lecturers, 
speaking  their  own  ^ongues,  are  provided.  The 
people  from  Italy  hear  Dr.  Luigi  Roversi  speak 
upon  the  "Rights  and  Duties  of  an  American 
Citizen/'  Mr.  Joseph  E.  Eron  tells  his  Hebrew 
neighbors  about  the  "Great  American  Literary 
Men"  and  Mrs.  Franziska  Hopf  lectures  to  her 
German  compatriots  upon  musical  subjects. 
For  the  more  recent  immigrants,  the  lectures 
are  so  fully  illustrated  with  pictures  and  demon- 
strations that  they  are  to  a  large  degree  intelli- 
gible without  a  full  knowledge  of  English;  some- 
times their  attractiveness  is  further  increased 
by  the  introduction  of  a  short  musical  program 
previous  to  the  lecture  proper.  Frequently  when 
views  of  Southern  Europe  are  thrown  on  the  screen 
one  can  hear  some  Greek,  I  talian  or  Spaniard  utter- 
ing irrepressible  ejaculations  of  joyful  recognition. 
The  various  centers  usually  draw  their  audiences 
from  their  own  locality,  which  gives  them  a 
certain  individuality.  On  the  other  hand  the 
lectures  are  so  well  advertised, — several  of  the 
dailies  print  the  weekly  and  evening  programs 
as  matters  of  news, — that  a  popular  speaker  or  a 
topic  of  unusual  interest  will  draw  persons  from 
all  sections  of  the  city.  Such  an  announcement 

205 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

as  the  "Folk  Songs  of  Scandinavia/'  will  bring 
together  a  large  number  of  Norwegians  and  Swedes. 
"To  spur  the  thoughtful,  to  stimulate  the 
student,  to  awaken  a  desire  for  reading,"  has 
been  the  fundamental  motive  in  this  system  of 
free  adult  instruction  which  Dr.  Leipziger  during 
the  past  twenty  years  has  built  up  under  the 
Board  of  Education.  The  skill  and  success  with 
which  this  didactic  purpose  has  been  worked  out, 
is  shown  both  by  the  fifty-fold  increase  in  the 
attendance  during  the  two  decades  of  their  ex- 
istence and  by  the  large  number  of  appreciative 
letters  annually  received  from  the  participants  in 
the  lecture  benefits.  Here  are  a  few  excerpts: 

"Dr.  Osier's  theory  doesn't  worry  me.  I  work 
hard  all  day  at  manual  work,  but  in  the  evening  I  feel 
like  a  child  attending  school  with  regard  to  these  grand, 
instructive  lectures." 

"My  husband  and  I  take  it  turn  about  staying  with 
the  children,  so  the  other  can  attend  the  lectures.  It 
is  our  only  diversion." 

"I  have  found  these  lectures  (on  metallurgy)  ex- 
tremely interesting  as  well  as  of  particular  service  to 
me  on  account  of  my  being  in  the  iron  business." 

"  1  am  an  old  bachelor  and  live  in  a  furnished  room; 
I  have  no  place  to  spend  my  evenings  except  in  the 
saloons,  and  I  suppose  I  have  saved  $100  by  attending 
these  lectures,  for  which  I  am  very  thankful  to  the 
Board  of  Education." 

206 


PUBLIC    LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

COST  OF  LECTURES 

ijrf 

At  the  present  time  the  average  cost  of  each  of 
the  board  of  education  lectures  to  the  New  York 
taxpayers  is  only  $26.05.  This  amount  includes 
not  only  the  lecturer's  fee  but  the  expense  con- 
nected with  the  use  of  stereopticons,  the  scien- 
tific material  used,  printing  and  administration. 
When  the  cost  is  computed  on  the  basis  of  at- 
tendance, it  amounts  to  only  twelve  cents  per 
lecture  for  each  person,  ^uniform  fee  of  ten 
dollars  is  paid  for  each  lecture,  and  in  spite  of  the 
nominal  character  of  this  fee  some  of  the  most 
distinguished  speakers  in  the  country  have  ap- 
peared upon  its  platforms. 

Newark,  New  Jersey,  also  has  a  paid  lecture 
system  in  which,  during  the  year  ending  June  30, 
1909,  273  lectures  were  given  at  a  cost  of  $23.65 
per  lecture.  In  Jersey  City  during  the  winter  of 
1908-09,  ninety-eight  lectures  were  given  at  a 
cost  of  $19.69  each.  Milwaukee  conducted  a 
winter  course  of  seventy-four  lectures  in  its 
school  buildings  at  a  cost  of  $33.76  each.  The 
inexpensiveness  of  the  Cleveland  lectures  has 
been  indicated  in  an  earlier  part  of  this  chapter. 

CHILDREN  AND  THE  LECTURES 

School  children  are  not  admitted  to  the  public 
lectures  in  the  school  buildings  of  New  York, 
Milwaukee  and  several  other  cities.  They  are 
kept  out  on  account  of  their  tendency  to  giggle, 
whisper  and  manifest  a  general  restlessness  that 

207 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

interferes  with  the  enjoyment  of  the  auditors  and 
the  efforts  of  the  speaker.  On  the  other  hand,  the 
older  children  attend  the  Cleveland  entertain- 
ments, and  no  disorder  of  consequence  has  re- 
sulted. Newark  also  admits  the  advanced  pupils 
of  the  grammar  schools.  It  is  pointed  out  that 
many  subjects  are  interesting  to  children  of  this 
age  and  that  a  regard  for  the  future  of  the  lecture 
system  requires  the  training  of  young  people  in 
the  "lecture  habit/'  With  this  in  view  many 
superintendents  advocate  special  school  lectures 
which  will  interest  the  older  boys  and  girls.  It  is 
suggested  that  a  children's  course  of  illustrated 
talks,  correlated  possibly  with  some  of  the  class- 
room work,  could  very  profitably  be  given  in 
various  school  centers  after  school  hours,  to 
which  only  the  pupils  of  certain  grades  would  be 
admitted.  Such  a  course  might  involve  the  pay- 
ment of  a  fee  to  the  lecturer,  but  being  so  directly 
related  to  school  work  there  should  be  no  difficulty 
in  getting  the  board  of  education  to  bear  this 
expense. 

An  excellent  series  of  talks  for  school  children 
has  been  prepared  under  the  auspices  of  the  Moral 
Education  Board  of  Baltimore  (903  Calvert 
Building).  They  are  on  such  topics  as  "The 
Ethics  of  Sport,"  "Who  is  the  Gentleman," 
"The  True  Sportsman,"  "What  I'm  Going  to  do 
When  I'm  Grown  Up,"  and  "What  Men  Think 
About  Boys'  Fights."  They  are  all  illustrated 
by  lantern  slides  made  from  photographs  of 

208 


PUBLIC   LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

real  scenes  in  American  and  English  games  and 
sports.  Extreme  care  has  been  used  in  the 
selection  of  situations  that  have  moral  significance 
and  tend  to  produce  positive  effects  in  the  minds 
of  children,  and  while  the  pictures  are  being 
thrown  upon  the  screen  carefully  worded  remarks 
upon  what  is  fine  and  right  in  conduct  are  made 
by  the  speaker.  These  picture  talks  have  been 
prepared  in  such  a  form  that  they  can  be  delivered 
by  any  intelligent  person.  The  Board  sends  its 
expert  to  give  a  demonstration  lecture  and  after 
that  the  addresses  are  easily  managed  by  a  prin- 
cipal or  teacher.  The  rental  of  the  furnished 
talks  and  slides  involves  a  nominal  expense,  but 
their  power  to  interest  is  so  great  that  they  have 
already  been  successfully  used  in  New  York, 
Newark  and  many  other  cities,  while  the  Board 
has  received  written  endorsements  from  over  one 
hundred  eminent  educators  and  publicists,  all 
heartily  approving  its  "illustrated  lessons  in 
morals." 

SOURCES  OF  SPEAKERS  AND  TOPICS 

There  are  a  large  number  of  organizations 
devoted  to  public  welfare  which  either  have  as- 
sociated with  them,  or  know  of,  persons  who  may 
be  secured  to  give  addresses  upon  the  subjects  with 
which  they  are  dealing.  In  this  way  they  find  an 
opportunity  to  publish  the  results  of  their  in- 
vestigations, awaken  public  sentiment  and  propa- 
gate the  ideas  for  which  they  stand.  Through 
«4  209 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

correspondence  with  these  organizations  speakers 
of  national  reputation  can  frequently  be  obtained 
at  the  cost  of  their  traveling  expenses  only. 

The  National  Child  Labor  Committee  cheerfully 
co-operates  with  school  public  lecture  courses  in 
presenting  various  phases  of  its  work.  It  has  a 
staff  of  lecturers  who  regularly  respond  to  in- 
vitations, without  charge  to  affiliated  organiza- 
tions and  for  a  reasonable  honorarium  in  the  case 
of  outside  societies.  The  School  of  Philanthropy 
of  New  York  has  an  extension  service,  and 
arranges  with  members  of  its  staff  for  single 
lectures  or  courses  of  lectures  upon  social, 
philanthropic  and  charitable  topics.  One  im- 
portant course  it  gives  is  upon  "The  Care  of 
Children/'  The  usual  charge  for  this  service  is 
$20  and  traveling  expenses  for  each  lecture.  The 
new  co-operative  agency  for  civic  advance  known 
as  "Boston-i9i5"  (6  Beacon  Street,  Boston),  has 
established  a  speakers'  bureau  and  is  enlisting 
business  and  professional  men  to  serve  the  move- 
ment by  explaining  its  details  to  audiences  in- 
terested in  such  work.  While  this  bureau  is 
chiefly  concerned  with  requests  from  Boston  and 
its  metropolitan  district,  any  call  for  a  speaker  to 
go  to  a  greater  distance  will  be  welcomed,  and  if 
possible,  some  one  will  be  sent. 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture 
also  furnishes  speakers  on  certain  occasions.  Con- 
cerning this  work  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  has 
written:  "The  Department  maintains  in  its  Office 

210 


PUBLIC    LECTURES    AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

of  Experiment  Stations  an  Agricultural  Education 
Service  in  which  the  time  of  several  specialists 
is  devoted  to  the  study  of  educational  problems, 
particularly  those  concerned  with  the  introduction 
of  instruction  in  nature  study,  school  gardening, 
and  elementary  agriculture  into  the  public  schools, 
and  this  service,  as  well  as  some  of  the  other 
Bureaus  of  the  Department,  frequently  furnishes 
speakers  at  large  educational  gatherings  where 
leading  educators  are  assembled  and  there  is 
likely  to  be  opportunity  to  exert  a  wide  influence 
on  educational  policy." 

In  most  states  there  are  certain  institutions 
and  organizations  from  which  speakers  may  be 
secured.  Such  are  the  experimental  ^stations 
attached  to  the  agricultural  colleges,  the  state  de- 
partment of  public  instruction,  the  home  econom- 
ics department  of  the  state  university  and  the 
similar  departments  of  agricultural  colleges,  and 
the  various  state  conferences  of  charity. 

The  success  of  an  application  for  a  lecturer  de- 
pends largely  upon  the  importance  of  the  occasion 
and  the  opportunity  it  offers  for  promoting  the 
interests  of  his  organization.  To  invest  the  oc- 
casion with  the  proper  "importance"  the  enter- 
prising director  will  enlist  the  assistance  of  the 
local  organization  that  is  identified  with  the  same 
cause  as  the  speaker.  If  he  is  baiting  his  hook 
for  a  celebrated  champion  of  the  playground  move- 
ment, he  will  get  the  local  playground  associa- 
tion to  extend  the  invitation  and  afterwards  in- 

211 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

duce  the  members  to  act  as  patrons  of  the  meeting. 
The  association  will  then  help  with  the  audience. 
The  people  will  hear  a  distinguished  speaker, 
the  playground  movement  will  be  advanced,  and 
the  school  lecture  work  will  score  a  success. 

In  applying  to  outside  organizations  for  speakers 
it  is  important  to  give  full  information  in  regard 
to  the  size  and  character  of  the  audience  expected, 
hours  and  dates  preferred,  general  topics  and  type 
of  lecture  (technical,  popular,  or  illustrated)  de- 
sired and  the  maximum  expense  which  may  be 
incurred.  When  the  lecturers  are  not  paid  a  fee 
the  chief  reliance  will  have  to  be  placed  usually 
upon  those  people  who  have  interesting  subjects 
to  talk  about  even  though  they  are  not  finished 
speakers.  In  every  community  there  is  a  large 
class  of  such  persons  from  whom  addresses,  at  once 
profitable  and  enjoyable,  can  be  obtained  with- 
out charge.  The  local  historical  society  often  has 
some  member  who  can  talk  entertainingly  on  the 
early  history  of  the  community.  Almost  every 
town  has  a  natural  history  society  among  the 
members  of  which  there  is  some  geologist  who  can 
describe,  and  frequently  illustrate  with  lantern 
slides,  the  formations  of  the  earth's  crust  in  that 
locality.  Social  settlement  workers  may  be  found 
who  will  give  addresses  upon  pertinent  local  social 
problems.  Often  the  public  librarian  will  be 
glad  to  avail  himself  of  the  school-house  platform 
to  tell  the  community  about  the  resources  of  his 
library.  Many  medical  associations  contain  pub- 

212 


PUBLIC    LECTURES   AND    ENTERTAINMENTS 

lie  spirited  members  upon  whom  the  community 
can  draw  for  instructive  addresses  on  such  topics 
as  the  way  in  which  the  city's  health  can  be  con- 
served. 

The  following  is  a  partial  list  of  organizations, 
or  classes  of  persons  from  whom  lectures  can  be 
frequently  obtained  without  cost,  together  with 
suggestions  as  to  topics  and  titles: 

CITY  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS 

How  the  Board  of  Education  Spends  Your  Money 
The  Cash  Value  of  a  High  School  Training 

DENTAL  SOCIETY 
How  to  Care  for  the  Teeth 

MANUFACTURER  OF  PROMINENCE 
The  Habit  of  Being  on  Time 
Why  We  Have  a  Time  Register  in  Our  Office 
Morals  and  the  Factory 

MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION 
The  Fight  Against  Tuberculosis 
The  Prevention  of  Communicable  Diseases 

A  more  complete  list  will  be  found  in  Appen- 
dix A. 

Whether  the  lecturers  are  employed  or  give 
their  services,  whether  they  come  from  a  distance 
or  are  selected  from  the  community,  a  school 
lecture  system  will  fail  of  its  highest  usefulness 
unless  it  satisfies  real  needs  and  is  conducted 
in  such  a  way  as  to  secure  the  people's  earnest 
co-operation.  On  this  subject  Dr.  Leipziger 
says: 

213 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

"Participation  by  the  people  in  the  work  of 
the  public  lectures  is  desired,  for  thought  and 
reading  must  be  encouraged.  It  is  not  only  our 
duty  to  provide  instruction  in  art,  literature  and 
science  alone,  but  it  is  in  a  larger  sense  our  pro- 
vince to  train  the  people  in  the  knowledge  of  the 
very  problems  which  they  as  voters  are  called 
upon  to  decide.  It  is  our  test  that  eventually, 
through  the  medium  of  the  public  lectures,  each 
school  house  and  lecture  hall  shall  become  a  gen- 
uine people's  forum." 

REFERENCES 

ADAMS,  HERBERT  B.:    Educational  Extension  in  the  United  States. 

Report  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Education,    1899-1900 

Vol.  i,  pages  330-334- 
CLARK,    E.   P.:    The   Free   Lecture  Movement.    Nation,   74:363. 

1902. 
ILES,  G.:  How  a  Great  Free  Lecture  System  Works.    World's  Work, 

5  13327.     1903. 
LEIPZIGER,    HENRY    M.:     Free    Lectures.     Critic,    28:329.     1896. 

(History  of  the  lecture  movement.) 
Free  Lectures  to  the  People.     Annual  reports  by  the  Supervisor 

of  Lectures  to  the  New  York  Board  of  Education.     From  1889 

to  1909. 

See  also  Free  Public  Lectures,  Report  of  the  Committee  on 
Evening  Schools,  School  Document  No.  13,  1903,  Boston;  Lecture 
Bureau,  Boston  Home  and  School  Association,  405  Marlborough 
Street,  Boston,  Mass.,  1909.  Annual  Report  of  the  Philadelphia 
Home  and  School  League,  112  South  i3th  Street;  and  the  annual 
reports  of  the  superintendents  of  schools  of  the  cities  named  in  the 
text. 


214 


VIII 
EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 


CHAPTER  VIII 
EVENING   RECREATION   CENTERS 

ACROSS  the  deserted  spaces  of  Tompkins 
Square  Park  a  January  storm  was  sweeping. 
The  benches  were  empty;  the  iron  play  ap- 
paratus stood  stark  and  useless  within  its  enclosure 
while,  farther  on,  the  chutes,  swings  and  sand- 
heaps  furnished  sport  only  to  the  chilling  night 
winds.  A  few  persons,  tight-buttoned  and  shiver- 
ing, were  moving  rapidly  along  the  asphalt  walks. 
One  passer-by,  however,  struck  by  the  sharp  con- 
trast between  this  scene  and  the  one  which  had 
greeted  his  eyes  during  a  former  visit  to  New 
York  in  the  month  of  July,  stopped  and  looked 
about. 

Then  the  benches  had  been  filled  with  tired  men 
smoking  their  evening  pipes  and  women  watching 
their  babies  in  nearby  go-carts,  while  in  the  less 
illuminated  spots  young  couples  were  engaged  in 
conversation.  On  the  playgrounds  noisy,  happy 
children  were  climbing  and  swinging,  or  digging 
in  the  sand.  The  grass-plots  were  occupied  by 
groups  of  tiny  toddlers  attended  by  older  sisters 
and,  here  and  there,  an  exhausted  laborer  lay 
stretched  out  on  a  newspaper  fast  asleep.  It 
had  seemed  on  that  warm  night  as  if  the  bursting 

217 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

tenements  which  hemmed  in  the  park  had  over- 
flowed, depositing  their  cramped  and  perspiring 
inmates  upon  its  hospitable  sward. 

As  now  the  traveler  started  down  East  Ninth 
Street  he  wondered  how  that  surplus  humanity 
was  stowing  itself  when  the  summer  annex  to  its 
living  abode  was  no  longer  habitable.  The  tene- 
ments were  no  larger  and  their  occupants  no  fewer 
than  they  had  been  in  July.  Where  could  the 
boys  and  girls  of  these  homes  find  space  for  recrea- 
tion on  a  winter's  evening?  This  question,  made 
all  the  more  insistent  by  the  sight  of  narrow  build- 
ings, small  windows,  ugly  fire-escapes  and  gar- 
bage receptacles — placed  in  front  because  there 
was  no  driveway  to  the  wretched  court  in  the 
rear — was  still  pressing  for  an  answer  when  his 
attention  was  attracted  by  a  five-storied  edifice  of 
brick  and  stone  whose  dignified  architecture  con- 
trasted strangely  with  the  surrounding  squalor. 
The  two  end  wings  of  the  building  came  out  to  the 
sidewalk  and  were  connected  by  a  high  brick  wall 
that  was  surmounted  by  an  ornamental  stone  cop- 
ing. I  n  the  middle  of  this  wall  was  a  wide  gateway 
approached  by  several  steps  leading  up  from  the 
sidewalk,  through  which  could  be  seen  a  small 
courtyard  and  the  central  part  of  the  building.  The 
ground  floor  and  the  one  above  it  were  brilliantly 
lighted.  Some  boys  came  running  up  the  steps 
and  passed  on  towards  the  main  entrance.  The 
building  was  plainly  a  school  house,  but  these  lads 
did  not  have  the  appearance  of  evening  pupils 

218 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

and  so,  driven  by  curiosity,  the  passing  stranger 
followed  them  inside. 

The  entrance  room,  pleasantly  warmed  by 
steam  radiators,  appeared  to  be  as  wide  as  the 
building,  but  though  entirely  devoid  of  furniture 
the  effect  of  its  natural  spaciousness  was  lessened 
by  heavy  pillars  which  supported  the  upper 
stories  and  broke  up  the  vast  concrete  floor  into 
more  or  less  distinct  sections  every  one  of  which 
was  now  occupied  by  an  animated  group  of  boys. 
Immediately  in  front  a  number  of  youths  standing 
in  a  circle  were  passing  a  ball  as  large  as  a  pump- 
kin, back  and  forth,  while  a  lad  in  the  center 
attempted  to  intercept  it.  Just  beyond,  a  pre- 
occupied group  were  engaged  in  a  game  of  shuffle- 
board.  Over  on  the  right  a  dozen  boys  took 
turns  at  tossing  rings  of  rope,  each  aiming  to  pitch 
his  quoit  over  the  point  of  a  stake  which  hung  in  a 
frame  at  the  middle  so  that  it  oscillated  back  and 
forth.  Nearby  was  a  quartette  of  youngsters 
with  toy  racquets  playing  ping-pong  around  a 
long  table. 

A  room  on  the  right  was  equipped  as  a  gymna- 
sium. At  one  end  two  lines  of  eager  little  fellows 
stood  waiting  their  turns  to  participate  in  the 
lively  potato  race  then  in  progress.  To  give  the 
event  novelty  the  clean,  well  set-up  young  man  in 
jersey  and  "gym"  trousers  who  was  conducting 
it,  had  each  pair  of  starters  lie  face  up  on  a  mat  at 
the  head  of  the  lane  through  which  they  were  to 
run.  When  he  cried  "Go!"  they  sprang  to  their 

219 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

feet  and  darted  for  the  potatoes  with  the  greatest 
agility.  The  contestant  who  first  finished  gather- 
ing his  vegetables  into  the  waste-basket  set  at  the 
starting-place  made  a  score  for  his  side  which  was 
chalked  on  the  floor  amidst  the  lusty  cheers  of  his 
co-players.  Across  the  room  was  a  line  of  older 
boys  following  their  leader  in  a  series  of  "stunts"  on 
the  horizontal  bar  while  at  the  farther  end  others 
amused  themselves  vaulting  over  a  buck  or  swing- 
ing on  the  flying  rings.  "At  seven-thirty,  when 
the  boys  first  come  in,"  explained  the  teacher, 
"they  are  allowed  a  few  minutes  of  free  play. 
Then  we  put  them  through  a  stiff  setting-up 
drill.  All-round  development  is  our  aim." 

The  visitor  was  next  conducted  through  the 
main  hall  to  a  more  brilliantly  lighted  room  in  the 
rear  which  was  comfortably  filled  with  groups  of 
boys  sitting  round  small  stands  and  tables.  Some 
were  playing  checkers  while  others  were  deep  in 
the  intricacies  of  chess;  parchesi,  authors,  geo- 
graphical and  historical  card  games  were  also  in 
use,  and  so  intent  were  most  of  the  players  that 
few  noticed  the  presence  of  spectators.  This  was 
called  the  "quiet-games  room."  In  the  farther 
end  was  a  long  table  at  which  sat  a  number  of 
youths  poring  over  magazines  and  newspapers. 
Nearby  a  businesslike  young  man  was  recording 
and  giving  out  books  to  some  eager  lads  standing 
in  a  line  which  was  being  constantly  replenished 
by  those  who  had  made  their  selections  from 
the  shelves.  One  carried  off  "Robinson  Crusoe" 

220 


>•'•  •  :    :  :"'••  :•,•:•  s  *  »'• 
»     ,">  i    •  ••*»•••••»•*»•  »*» 


COMPETING  AGAINST  STREET  LOAFING  IN  A  NEW  YORK  CENTER 


QUIET  CORNER  IN  A  GIRLS'  CENTER 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

while  the  next  received  "The  Boys  of  '76." 
"Treasure  Island"  was  obtained  by  a  third,  and 
a  youth  of  more  serious  mien  asked  for  a  book  that 
would  help  him  prepare  for  the  Civil  Service  ex- 
aminations. The  books  formed  one  of  the  travel- 
ing libraries  which  belong  to  the  New  York  Public 
Library  and  were  changed  at  regular  intervals. 

The  left  wing  of  the  building  contained  an  im- 
mense room  similar  in  appearance  to  its  counter- 
part but  entirely  without  apparatus  or  mats. 
Except  for  ten  active  fellows  in  jerseys,  short 
pants  and  rubber-soled  shoes,  and  a  man  with  a 
whistle,  its  floor  was  clear  of  persons  up  to  the 
fringe  of  spectators,  one  or  two  rows  deep,  that 
lined  its  edges.  High  up  on  the  end  walls  were 
the  familiar  iron  hoops  and  twine  nets  which  con- 
stitute the  narrow  goals  of  basket  ball.  At  that 
moment  the  rush  of  the  players  was  halted  by  the 
shrill  whistle  of  the  referee  and  a  curly-headed 
youth  was  given  the  ball  to  make  a  "try "for the 
goal  because  of  a  "foul"  committed  by  the  other 
team.  The  ball  struck  the  hoop,  circled  around 
it  and  finally  dropped  through  the  trailing  net. 
Thereupon  the  crowd  in  the  opposite  corner  emit- 
ted a  deafening  outburst  of  cries,  cat-calls  and 
applause.  "Those  are  the  Wingate  rooters,"  re- 
marked the  principal.  "That  point  ties  the  score." 

"And  who  might  the  Wingates  be?"  asked  the 
visitor. 

"One  of  our  clubs.  Their  team  is  defending 
this  goal  while  those  representing  the  Saranac 

221 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Athletic  Club  have  the  other.  You  see  all  the 
fellows  who  come  here  are  asked  to  join  a  club. 
We  have  now  twenty-two  of  them.  After  these 
fellows  get  through,  the  Young  America  and 
the  Roosevelt  clubs  will  have  a  chance  to  play 
and  meanwhile  the  Cosmos  and  the  Levity  clubs 
are  having  their  turn  in  the  gymnasium.  By 
organizing  the  boys  into  societies  we  are  able  to 
arrange  a  schedule  whereby  everybody  has  an 
opportunity  to  enjoy  systematically  all  of  the 
privileges.  My  staff  consists  of  two  gymnasts, 
one  game-room  teacher,  and  one  club  director. 
There  are  475  boys  and  young  men  in  the  build- 
ing this  evening  and  the  benefits  they  receive  cost 
the  taxpayers  about  four  cents  apiece." 

After  ascending  a  flight  of  stairs  visitor  and 
guide  passed  down  a  long  corridor  and  presently 
found  themselves  in  an  ordinary  class  room.  The 
teacher's  place  was  occupied  by  a  young  man  with 
a  gavel,  while  at  his  side  sat  the  secretary  writing 
in  a  blank  book.  Scattered  about  the  room  be- 
hind desks  were  a  score  of  alert  youths  listening  to 
the  report  of  the  arrangement  committee  con- 
cerning an  "open  meeting"  of  the  society  soon  to 
be  held.  A  card  in  the  hands  of  one  of  the  boys 
was  labeled  "Membership  Card"  and  bore  the 
owner's  name,  the  number  of  the  "evening  recrea- 
tion center,"  a  column  for  each  of  the  nine  months 
from  October  to  June  in  which  to  note  attendance, 
and  these  words:  "Dreadnaught  Literary  and 
Athletic  Society."  On  the  back,  above  the  names 

222 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

of  the  principal  and  the  club  director,  appeared 
the  following  legend:  "Remember — that  the  suc- 
cess of  your  club  depends  upon  your  regular  and 
prompt  attendance.  That  membership  entitles 
you  to  the  Basket  Ball  and  Athletic  Privileges." 

Several  other  class  rooms  held  similar  clubs. 
Some  were  composed  largely  of  one  race,  others 
included  Italians,  Hebrews,  Hungarians  and  Poles 
as  well  as  Irish  and  Yankees,  all  working  har- 
moniously together.  Their  occupations  were  as 
varied  as  their  features.  Errand  boys,  factory 
hands,  store  clerks,  stenographers  and  high  school 
students  mingled  with  "toughs,"  just  plain  boys, 
and  Sunday  school  scholars.  The  members  of  the 
Whittier  Society  were  hearing  one  of  their  number 
recite  Lincoln's  Gettysburg  address,  while  the 
director  of  the  Lowell  Club  was  giving  a  lecture  on 
the  plays  of  Shakespeare.  Across  the  hall  the 
Princeton  Pleasure  Club,  an  athletic  organization, 
was  consistently  realizing  its  nominal  purpose  in  a 
vociferous  and  exciting  election  of  officers.  In  the 
Hamilton  Forum  a  debate  upon  the  resolution 
"that  immigration  be  further  restricted"  was 
in  progress.  The  affirmative  was  being  upheld 
by  Messrs.  Perkpvitz  and  Gruenbaum,  and  their 
speeches  showed  a  delightful  unconsciousness  of 
the  possible  effect  upon  their  own  fortunes  which 
would  have  resulted  from  an  earlier  enactment  of 
the  proposals  they  were  now  urging  with  such 
noisy  "patriotism." 

Each  club  met  in  this  way  once  a  week  from 
223 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

7.30  to  9.45,  and  on  the  other  evenings  (except 
Sundays)  the  members  were  at  liberty  to  come 
for  games  and  gymnastic  exercises.  While  the 
greater  number  of  the  clubs  had  been  formed  at  the 
outset  for  athletic  purposes,  nearly  all  had  grad- 
ually developed  into  literary  and  debating  societies 
and  a  few  were  so  energetic  that  they  had  obtained 
the  use  of  class  rooms  for  a  meeting  place  during  the 
summer  evenings  when  the  other  privileges  of  the 
center  were  not  available.  One  of  the  functions 
of  the  club  director  was  to  organize  new  societies 
and  for  this  purpose  the  game  rooms  downstairs 
served  as  recruiting  grounds. 

A  part  of  the  building  somewhat  removed  from 
the  group  of  class  rooms  used  by  the  clubs  con- 
tained the  study  room.  The  boys  in  the  other 
departments  had  all  been  fourteen  or  over,  no 
pupils  of  the  elementary  schools  being  allowed  to 
become  members  of  the  clubs  or  enter  the  game 
rooms  if  it  could  be  helped.  This  room,  however, 
was  used  exclusively  for  day-school  children 
and  was  nearly  filled  with  boys,  all  sitting  at 
desks,  with  books  open  before  them,  sometimes 
two  in  the  same  seat.  Some  were  writing,  some 
were  talking  in  low  tones  with  their  neighbors,  and 
others  were  quietly  studying.  A  woman  teacher 
with  an  intelligent  face  and  kindly  manner  moved 
quietly  about  the  room,  now  and  then  saying  a 
few  words  in  response  to  an  appeal  from  a  pupil, 
and  giving  the  kind  of  counsel  that  stimulated 
rather  than  replaced  effort.  The  children  came 

224 


TRAINING  FOR  Civic  LIFE  IN  AN  EVENING  CENTER 


EVENING  STUDY  IN  "QuiET  SURROUNDINGS" 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

simply  to  study  in  quiet  surroundings  the  lessons 
assigned  to  them  in  the  day  schools.  It  was  en- 
tirely voluntary  on  their  part,  and  the  privilege 
was  given  only  to  those  who  had  attained  the 
fourth  grade,  at  which  time  home-work  begins  to 
be  required.  Before  admission  each  one  was 
obliged  to  present  a  card  signed  by  his  principal, 
containing  his  name,  age,  address,  school,  grade 
and  the  subjects  needing  study.  To  be  admitted, 
children  had  also  to  bring  their  books.  The  room 
was  not  open  Friday,  Saturday  or  Sunday  eve- 
nings. "We  have  an  average  of  about  sixty-five 
boys  every  evening  and  some  of  them  have  told 
me  that  since  coming  here  they  have  received 
'A's'  on  their  reports  for  the  first  time  in  their 
lives/'  the  principal  explained. 

After  expressing  his  appreciation  of  the  things  he 
had  seen  the  visitor  registered  his  name  and  passed 
out  into  the  night.  The  wind  had  died  down,  but 
it  was  still  bitterly  cold.  The  street  was  dark  and 
empty.  At  the  gateway  he  looked  back  at  the 
light  streaming  from  the  school  house  windows,  and 
then  went  on  his  way. 

THE  NEW  YORK  CENTERS 

During  the  season  1909-10,  thirty-one  evening 
recreation  centers  were  maintained  by  the  Board 
of  Education  in  the  boroughs  of  Manhattan,  the 
Bronx  and  Brooklyn.  With  the  exception  of  five 
they  were  open  six  nights  a  week  from  October 
to  April.  The  use  of  these  five  was  continued  two 

*5  225 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

evenings  a  week  until  the  beginning  of  June.  The 
aggregate  attendance  for  the  season  reached 
2,165,457,  making  a  nightly  average  of  12,985  for 
all  thirty-one  centers.  Study  rooms  were  avail- 
able at  twenty-seven  of  the  centers,  bathing 
facilities  at  twenty-four,  and  the  staff  of  principals, 
teachers,  gymnasts  and  other  employes  numbered 
nearly  200.  One-third  of  the  school  buildings  de- 
voted to  this  enterprise  were  for  the  entertain- 
ment of  women  and  girls  only,  and  they  enjoyed 
the  same  opportunities  as  their  brothers  except 
that  the  gymnasium  was  more  often  used  for  folk 
dancing  than  for  athletics,  though  games  of  basket 
ball  and  wand  drills  were  occasionally  held. 

For  most  of  the  men  and  boys  the  gymnasium  is 
the  principal  attraction,  with  its  exercises  on  the 
mat  and  on  parallel  and  horizontal  bars;  though 
in  large  centers,  like  that  at  Public  School  No.  188 
on  East  Third  Street,  basket  ball,  indoor  baseball 
and  track  sports  are  also  very  popular.  Policemen 
and  firemen  are  frequently  found  wrestling  at  the 
High  School  of  Commerce,  while  in  another  center 
there  is  a  special  "gym"  class  for  deaf  mutes. 
For  several  years  athletic  tournaments  have  been 
held,  the  final  contests  taking  place  in  one  of  the 
large  armories.  One  winter  a  local  newspaper 
offered  medals  for  boys  and  pins  for  girls  as  prizes 
in  a  series  of  basket  ball  games  and  athletic  sports. 
Immediately  the  best  players  were  organized  into 
midget,  middle  and  heavy-weight  teams  and  the 
inter-center  contests  began.  During  the  pre- 
226 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

liminaries  fifty  athletic  meets  and  250  games  of 
basket  ball  were  played,  each  successive  event 
heightening  the  general  enthusiasm.  The  finals 
took  place  in  the  Twelfth  Regiment  Armory  before 
a  large  audience  which  cheered  to  the  echo  the 
winners  as  they  received  their  prizes  at  the  hands 
of  a  representative  of  the  newspaper  that  donated 
them,  and  of  the  wife  of  the  president  of  the  Board 
of  Education.  During  the  annual  meet  of  1909 
there  were  from  one  to  three  entries  from  each 
boys'  center  in  every  contest  and  it  was  reported 
that  "no  more  enthusiastic  audience  ever  filled 
the  vast  building." 

That  year  the  total  number  of  active  clubs  was 
575,  and  while  their  names  indicate  a  predominant, 
initial  interest  in  some  one  field  such  as  literature, 
debate,  athletics,  civics,  the  drama,  or  glee  and 
orchestral  music,  the  regulations  under  which  they 
are  organized  induce  uniformity  and  these  dis- 
tinctions are  tending  to  disappear.  Except  for  a 
few  adult  clubs  devoted  to  civics  or  purely  social 
diversions  they  are  all  scheduled  for  periods  of 
gymnastic  training,  athletic  sports  and  quiet 
games.  Each  club  is  also  required  to  hold  a 
weekly  business  meeting  under  the  supervision  of 
the  club  director,  and  to  possess  some  knowledge 
of  hygiene,  civics  and  American  history. 

The  variety  of  instruction  given  in  these  clubs 
is  well  shown  in  the  following  extract  from  the 
1906  report  of  Miss  Evangeline  E.  Whitney,  who 
had  charge  of  the  recreation  centers  during  the 

227 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

period  of  their  remarkable  growth,  namely  from 
1902  till  her  death  in  January,  1910.  "The 
range  of  books  read  in  the  clubs  extends  from  fairy 
tales  and  historic  stories  to  Ruskin  and  Ibsen. 
We  have  scores  of  young  men  and  women  who 
critically  study  economics  and  Shakespeare;  and 
many  that  make  but  slow  mental  advancement. 
In  the  latter  class  the  teachers  prepare  illustrated 
talks  on  nature,  the  dress  of  different  countries, 
their  implements  of  industry  and  of  war;  tell 
thrilling  stories  of  adventure;  introduce  topics  of 
public  interest  and  thus  lead  them  into  debates 
which  send  them  to  the  library  for  information. 
One  teacher  who  had  several  clubs  of  bright  office 
boys  could  not  get  them  to  undertake  any  literary 
work  until  he  stimulated  their  ambition  by  re- 
citing selections  learned  in  his  own  youth.  The 
effect  of  his  fine  elocution  brought  the  desired 
results,  and  essays,  orations  and  debates  were  soon 
forthcoming.  One  night  he  recited  '  King  Robert 
of  Sicily/  After  he  had  finished  there  was  a 
moment  of  tense  silence,  then  a  boy  got  to  his  feet 
and  thus  addressed  the  club:  'Fellows,  I  don't 
care  what  some  people  say,  we've  got  to  believe 
that  there's  a  God  in  Heaven.  Yes,  fellows,  there's 
a  God  in  Heaven  all  right,  and  He's  watching 
us  and  keeping  tab  on  everything  we  do,  and 
you  can't  bluff  Him,  or  get  away  from  Him; 
so,  fellows,  it's  up  to  us  to  make  good,  that's 
all.'  .  .  .  Instruction  has  been  given,  by 
means  of  improvised  dialogues,  on  how  to  make 

228 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

proper  applications  for  positions  in  various  offices 
or  business  houses,  how  to  perform  successfully 
the  duties  of  a  toastmaster,  and  to  formulate 
terse  after-dinner  speeches.  Rules  of  etiquette, 
correct  phraseology,  and  many  subjects  of  kindred 
nature  have  emphasized  the  importance  of  ob- 
serving the  gracious  forms  of  social  life." 

One  of  the  more  ambitious  clubs  composed  of 
ex-high  school  boys  took  for  its  weekly  discussions 
such  subjects  as  "a  comparative  study  of  the 
drama  of  the  Greeks,  Romans,  early  and  modern 
English,  German  and  French."  The  Alcott  Club 
of  a  girls'  center  in  the  heart  of  the  East  Side,  dur- 
ing the  past  winter  gave  a  dramatization  of  two 
scenes  from  "Little  Women"  for  which  a  staged 
was  formed  by  curtaining  off  one  end  of  the  capa- 
cious game  room,  and  use  was  made  of  "proper- 
ties" brought  from  the  members'  homes.  In  one 
or  two  other  centers,  playlets  and  comediettas 
have  also  been  given.  The  practice  of  public 
speaking  is  encouraged  by  declamation  contests 
and  debates.  One  year,  teams  from  various  cen- 
ters met  in  twenty-five  discussions  of  live  topics, 
and  upon  the  conclusion  of  the  final  debates  ebony 
and  gold-mounted  gavels  were  presented  by  a 
newspaper  to  the  winning  clubs,  one  to  the  young 
men  and  the  other  to  the  young  women.  The 
same  paper  also  gave  handsome  medals  to  the 
two  who  received  highest  honors  in  a  declamation 
contest  held  that  season. 

An    attractive    little    paper    containing    prize 
229 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

stories  and  gossipy  notes  from  neighboring  clubs 
is  published  by  the  Gavel  Club  of  Public  School 
172,  and  the  Irving  Literary  Society  of  No.  188 
has  started  a  publication  of  similar  character 
called  the  Observer.  Among  the  other  activities 
common  among  the  clubs  may  be  mentioned  con- 
certs and  literary  entertainments  to  which  the 
members  invite  guests,  banquets  given  in  honor 
of  their  instructors,  and  occasional  balls  given  by 
those  groups  which  have  some  social  strength. 
One  of  the  East  Side  girls'  clubs  acts  as  an  auxiliary 
to  the  Ambulance  Service  Society  connected  with 
a  nearby  hospital,  and  it  is  a  common  thing  for 
clubs  to  apply  the  money  raised  at  social  functions 
to  the  needs  of  ill  or  unfortunate  comrades. 

At  Evening  Recreation  Center  No.  188  the 
Lassie  and  Travelers'  clubs  were  allowed  to  ask 
their  young  men  friends  one  Wednesday  evening 
to  attend  a  dance.  The  behavior  of  the  couples 
was  so  satisfactory  and  the  occasion  so  enjoyable 
that  a  series  of  weekly  dances  was  planned.  The 
principals  of  two  neighboring  centers  recommended 
a  number  of  gentlemanly  boys  who  with  the  girls' 
clubs  mentioned  formed  a  dancing  class.  An 
executive  committee  of  five  boys  and  an  equal 
number  of  girls  was  appointed  to  pass  upon  the 
names  of  proposed  members,  who  had  to  be  well 
endorsed  before  they  could  be  presented.  The 
dues  were  five  cents  a  week  payable  by  the  mem- 
bers of  both  sexes  and  the  funds  thus  raised  not 
only  met  the  expense  of  providing  a  violinist  and 

230 


COMMERCIALIZED  DANCING 


DANCING  IN  A  SCHOOL  BUILDING 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

of  waxing  the  floor,  but  left  a  surplus  large  enough 
to  afford  the  members  additional  enjoyment 
through  entertainments  and  outings.  At  these 
weekly  reunions  members  of  the  center  staff  gave 
instruction  not  only  in  the  regular  waltz,  two-step 
and  lanciers  but  also  in  folk  dancing.  Strict 
supervision  was  exercised  and  young  people  seen 
dancing  in  an  objectionable  manner  were  cau- 
tioned and  shown  a  more  decorous  way. 

During  the  season  of  1909-10  there  were  six 
centers  where  mixed  dancing  classes  were  held, 
several  of  them  becoming  so  popular  that  waiting- 
lists  were  made  up  of  applicants  who  could  not 
be  accommodated  on  account  of  the  restricted 
space.  Dr.  Edward  W.  Stitt,  who  has  succeeded 
Miss  Whitney  in  the  charge  of  the  centers,  relates 
that  on  the  evening  of  St.  Patrick's  Day  he  visited 
an  East  Side  dancing  class  and  found  1 50  young 
people  enjoying  themselves  in  a  wholesome  man- 
ner, while  in  a  notorious  dance  hall  across  the  way, 
both  larger  and  easier  of  access,  there  were  only 
thirty  on  the  floor. 

So  remarkable  an  innovation  as  social  dances 
maintained  in  public  school  buildings  and  or- 
ganized by  employes  of  the  Board  of  Education 
was  not  made  without  some  preliminary  experi- 
menting. For  several  years  there  had  been  social 
occasions  when  the  girls  assumed  the  role  of  hostess 
and  entertained  boys  of  known  character  and 
proved  gentlemanliness.  Musical  entertainments, 
amateur  theatricals,  athletic  exhibitions  by  the 

231 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

boys,  checker  contests  and  other  table  games  were 
the  chief  amusements  at  these  assemblies.  Danc- 
ing was  enjoyed  occasionally,  but  it  was  the  folk 
dances  and  others  that  contained  the  game  spirit 
rather  than  the  waltz  or  two-step  which  were 
indulged  in.  As  these  social  affairs  progressed 
their  effects  became  noticeable.  One  principal 
wrote:  "We  have  watched  many  of  our  girls 
change  from  the  silly  attitude  toward  the  boys  to 
that  of  practical  indifference,  or  open,  frank  com- 
radeship, and  have  seen  the  boys,  who  at  first 
came  in  untidy  of  dress  and  unclean  of  person, 
appearing  with  clean  linen  and  hands,  tidy  clothes 
and  freshly  shaven  faces/' 

The  beneficial  results  of  the  club  activities  show 
themselves  in  unexpected  directions.  A  civic 
organization  composed  of  forty  young  men  and 
women  resolved  to  work  all  summer  for  cleaner 
streets  in  the  neighborhood  of  school  and  home. 
Several  years  ago  a  club  of  boys  was  formed  with 
the  purpose  of  working  "for  the  betterment  of 
the  Italian  race  in  America."  With  a  roll  of  over 
200,  meeting  weekly  in  hired  rooms  for  mutual 
improvement,  and  with  many  charter  members 
returning  monthly  to  their  former  director  for 
counsel,  this  club  has  grown  to  be  a  civic  force  of 
incalculable  influence.  One  of  its  early  regulations 
made  attendance  at  evening  school  obligatory 
upon  the  members,  and  so  close  is  the  connection 
between  education  and  the  work  of  the  recreation 
center  that  the  latter  has  come  to  be  regarded,  to  a 

232 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

certain  extent,  as  a  recruiting  ground  for  the  public 
night  schools. 

Concerning  the  aid  afforded  by  these  play  centers 
to  the  social  assimilation  of  the  large  masses  of 
foreigners  in  our  population,  Mrs.  Humphry  Ward 
has  contributed  some  interesting  testimony.  At 
a  banquet  given  her  by  the  Playground  Associa- 
tion of  America,  she  thus  describes  a  visit  to 
one  of  the  centers:  "We  found  a  thousand  girls, 
divided  in  the  same  way  between  active  physical 
exercise  and  club  meetings  (by  the  way,  while 
one  of  the  boys'  clubs  was  debating  Mr.  Bryce's 
American  Commonwealth,  the  girls  were  discuss- 
ing Silas  Marner) ;  and,  in  the  third,  perhaps  most 
remarkable  of  all,  five  hundred  girls  were  gathered 
debating  whether  you  should  retain  the  Philippine 
Islands,  with  a  vigor,  a  fluency,  a  command  of  pat- 
riotic language  and  feeling  which  struck  me  with 
amazement.  Here  were  girls,  some  of  whom  could 
only  have  arrived  in  your  country  a  year  or  two 
ago,  and  all  of  them  the  children  of  aliens,  ap- 
pealing to  your  Anglo-Saxon  forefathers,  and 
talking  of  your  Revolutionary  War  and  the 
Monroe  Doctrine,  of  liberty  and  self-government, 
with  an  intensity  of  personal  appropriation  such 
as  no  mere  school  teaching  could  have  pro- 
duced. It  was  as  though  I  was  in  the  presence 
of  those  children  whom  you  will  remember  in 
the  story  of  the  Pied  Piper — the  children  whom 
the  Pied  Piper  led  to  the  mountain,  which 
opened  and  closed  upon  them  again,  entomb- 

233 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ing  a  whole  generation.  Browning  had  heard 
vaguely  that  somehow  and  somewhere  they  re- 
emerged.  And  here  they  are!  The  parents  have 
been  entombed  and  imprisoned  for  generations. 
But  their  children  are  now  free — they  are  in  sun- 
shine. Hence,  this  energy,  this  astonishing  sense 
of  power  and  life." 

Miss  Whitney's  annual  reports  to  the  city 
superintendent  record  many  instances  of  striking 
changes  in  the  character  of  the  young  men  who 
have  patronized  the  centers.  "  Last  fall,  a  noted 
'tough'  of  nineteen  years  strolled  into  a  center  for 
the  declared  purpose  of  'clearing  the  place  out/ 
He  discovered  that  a  few  determined  athletes  had 
something  to  say  about  that,  and  subsided  into 
a  quiet  observer  of  the  evening's  sports.  The 
principal  noticed  that  he  became  a  regular  at- 
tendant, and  invited  him  to  join  a  club.  He  did 
so,  and  was  told  about  the  study  room — the 
longed-for  oasis  in  his  desert  life.  Earnestly  he 
applied  himself  to  take  a  civil  service  examination, 
and  when  the  term  closed  in  May,  he  was  ac- 
ceptably filling  the  position  of  a  junior  clerk  in  one 
of  our  city  departments."*  The  following  inci- 
dent selected  out  of  "  scores  of  incidents  "  that  came 
to  her  notice  demonstrates  clearly  Miss  Whitney's 
belief  that  no  matter  how  bad  a  young  man  may 
be,  the  acquisition  of  "the  athlete's  code  of  honor 
is  a  triumph  over  lawlessness,  the  beginning  of 
a  citizen's  conception  of  duty."  "One  club  of 

*  Report  of  the  City  Supt.  of  Schools.     New  York,  1906,  page  364. 
234 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

street  loafers  organized  last  winter,"  she  wrote, 
""seemed  as  unpromising  as  any  we  ever  attempted 
to  reform.  The  leader,  a  swaggering,  unclean 
fellow,  fortunately  had  'the  vulnerable  heel/ 
He  began  to  observe  expert  performances,  then 
to  obey  instructions,  until  pride  and  skill  were  so 
developed  that  by  the  end  of  the  season  he  out- 
ranked all  the  athletes  in  his  center  and  made  his 
club  equal  with  the  best."  * 

That  the  benefits  to  character  are  not  confined 
to  the  male  sex  alone  is  shown  by  the  following 
statement  in  her  report  of  1908:  "One  of  the 
marked  instances  of  the  year  was  the  rescue  of 
what  the  police  designated  'one  of  the  worst  gangs 
of  girls  on  the  East  Side/  In  the  club  of  twenty 
young  women,  now  tamed  and  decent,  one  would 
not  recognize  the  hoydens  of  a  few  months  ago." 

Considering  the  important  part  played  by  ath- 
letics it  is  not  surprising  that  gymnasts  should  be 
favored  when  selecting  workers  for  these  centers. 
The  ability  to  secure  immediate  respect  from  street 
boys  gives  a  leverage  not  possessed  by  women, 
though  many  of  the  latter  have  been  highly  suc- 
cessful. 1 1  has  been  found  that  altruism  is  a  prime 
qualification  for  the  principalship  and  herein  lies 
the  usual  secret  of  the  woman  worker's  power. 
The  degree  to  which  the  work  has  been  organized 
is  illustrated  by  the  fact  that  weekly  and  monthly 
reports  are  regularly  sent  to  the  superintendent's 
office  covering  the  attendance,  contests,  debates, 

*  Report  of  the  City  Supt.  of  Schools,  1909,  page  551. 
235 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

books  read  and  activities  in  general.  In  the  study 
rooms  the  teachers  use  a  card-system,  reference  to 
which  tells  them  just  the  kind  of  assistance  each 
pupil  needs. 

The  centers  as  a  whole  are  administered  by  a 
corps  having  the  usual  grades  of  superintendent, 
inspector,  supervisor,  principal  and  teacher,  but 
in  spite  of  the  uniformity  to  be  expected  from  so 
much  system  and  so  large  an  organization,  each 
center  has  individuality,  due  to  the  character  of 
the  building,  the  personnel  of  the  staff,  and  the 
kinds  of  people  who  frequent  it. 

Inspectors  begin  with  a  salary  of  $i  500  which  in 
six  years  is  automatically  raised  to  f  1 750,  the  other 
employes  being  paid  as  follows: 

RECREATION  CENTER  SALARIES 
Supervisors     .       .       .       .  $6.00  per  day 
Principals        ....     4.00  per  session 

Teachers 2.50 

Assistant  Teachers  .  .1.75 
Teachers  of  swimming  .  .  2.00 
Librarians  .  .  .  .2.50 
Pianists 2.00 

In  1909  the  expense  of  the  thirty-one  centers  in 
New  York  was  $79,565.74,  which  with  a  daily 
average  of  12,084  persons  cost  the  taxpayers 
$6.58  for  each  participant  in  the  season  of  fun  and 
healthful  enjoyment. 

BEGINNINGS  IN  OTHER  CITIES 

For  several  years  the  Newark,  New  Jersey, 
Board  of  Education  has  maintained  a  recreation 

236 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

center  in  one  of  its  buildings  that  is  open  four 
evenings  a  week  from  7.30  to  9.30,  to  both  school 
children  and  older  people.  The  privileges  afforded 
are  those  of  a  gymnasium,  reading  and  quiet- 
games  room,  and  four  people  are  employed  to 
supervise  and  give  instruction.  In  addition  the 
gymnasiums  of  two  other  schools  have  been  used 
during  the  evenings,  while  in  several  buildings 
classes  in  folk  dancing  have  been  open  to  the  girl 
pupils  immediately  after  the  close  of  the  afternoon 
session.  The  expense  of  this  work  during  1908-09 
amounted  to  $1553.49.  In  Chicago  during  the 
1909-10  season  two  evening  recreation  centers 
were  established  under  the  charge  of  day-school 
principals,  which,  without  the  advantage  of  as- 
sembly rooms  or  gymnasiums,  were  nevertheless 
very  successful.  The  wide  corridors  gave  the 
boys  space  for  basket  ball  and  the  girls  gymnastic 
opportunities.  There  were  study  rooms  for  those 
who  wished  them,  a  double  room  for  reading  and 
single  ones  for  choral  singing,  illustrated  lectures 
on  travel,  and  folk  dancing.  Volunteer  workers 
assisted  the  principals  in  the  conduct  of  these 
activities,  which  were  carried  on  only  two  evenings 
a  week.  In  other  schools  permission  has  been 
given  to  use  the  gymnasiums  for  basket  ball  and 
indoor  baseball  games  upon  the  application  of 
responsible  persons  and  societies. 

In  Philadelphia,  Milwaukee  and  several  other 
cities  enterprises  having  similar  features  have  been 
carried  on,  but  since  they  are  locally  known  as 

237 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

"social  centers"  their  description  has  been  re- 
served for  the  following  chapter.  The  gymnasium 
classes  under  trained  teachers  held  in  several  of 
the  Cincinnati  buildings  have  already  been  men- 
tioned in  the  discussion  of  evening  schools,  but 
in  addition  voluntary  organizations  are  allowed 
the  use  of  four  other  buildings  in  which  to  conduct 
debating  clubs  and  wholesome  recreations  for 
boys.  In  St.  Louis,  through  the  co-operation  of 
the  Public  Library  and  the  Board  of  Education,  a 
reading  room  for  young  people  is  opened  three 
nights  a  week  in  one  of  the  public  schools. 

The  Playground  and  Social  Service  League  of 
Newton,  Massachusetts,  maintained  during  the 
summer  evenings  of  1909  a  quiet-games  and 
reading  room  in  the  Bowen  School,  and  in  Port- 
land, Maine,  a  similar  work  is  conducted  by  the 
Fraternity  House  social  workers.  In  many  cities 
undertakings  of  this  sort  go  by  the  name  of  "boys' 
clubs"  which  are  usually  organized  and  supported 
by  voluntary  organizations  or  philanthropic  in- 
dividuals. In  Cleveland,  the  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution  have  the  use  of  one  school 
building  in  which  they  conduct  three  juvenile 
clubs;  Syracuse  has  two  clubs  which  are  sup- 
ported by  public-spirited  persons  and  directed  by  a 
former  Y.  M.  C.  A.  man  with  a  medical  training. 
An  illustration  of  the  origin  of  such  a  club  is 
found  in  Pittsburgh  where  the  principal  of  the 
Oakland  District  School  threw  open  several  class 
rooms  for  evening  study.  While  the  attendance 

238 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

was  fairly  good  it  did  not  come  up  to  expectations, 
but  meeting  in  that  way  developed  a  social  co- 
hesiveness  among  the  boys  that  finally  took  the 
form  of  an  organized  club  with  pronounced  ath- 
letic tendencies.  Indeed  "athletic"  is  the  touch- 
stone of  success  in  work  with  boys,  and  the  skilful 
director  not  only  lays  emphasis  upon  physical 
training  and  organized  sports  but,  like  the  Buffalo 
worker  in  charge  of  the  Evening  Club  of  School  29 
which  gave  a  "horseback  fight "  and  bar-bell  drill 
at  the  spring  playground  demonstration  in  Con- 
vention Hall,  he  sees  to  it  that  his  boys  are  stimu- 
lated by  frequent  public  exhibitions. 

LONDON  EVENING  PLAY  CENTERS 

In  thirteen  of  the  London  County  Council 
schools,  play  centers  open  to  boys  and  girls  be- 
tween the  ages  of  five  and  fourteen  are  maintained 
five  evenings  a  week,  from  5.30  to  7.30,  and  for 
an  hour  and  a  half  on  Saturday  mornings.  The 
occupations  afforded  comprise  various  kinds  of 
handwork  such  as  cobbling,  woodwork,  basket- 
work,  painting,  plasticine  modeling,  needlework 
and  knitting.  But  work  is  not  all,  or  even  the 
main  thing,  at  these  places.  In  a  quiet  room 
draughts,  halma,  picture-lotto,  puzzles,  deck 
quoits,  brick-building,  fish  ponds,  and  many  other 
games  are  provided ;  toy-rooms  contain  dolls  and 
tea  sets,  bricks,  engines,  block  puzzles  and  picture 
books  for  the  little  ones,  while  the  toddlers 
amuse  themselves  in  the  "babies'  room"  which  is 

239 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

furnished  with  small  chairs  and  light,  low  tables 
instead  of  with  desks  and  seats.  A  library  stands 
ready  to  supply  story  and  picture-books.  In  the 
large,  bright  halls  the  older  girls  make  merry 
singing  "The  Keys  of  Canterbury/'  "Mowing 
the  Barley/'  or  playing  some  of  Mrs.  Gomme's 
games,  like  "London  Bridge"  or  "Here  we  come 
up  the  Green  Grass/'  The  exercises  of  the  "  Drill 
Classes"  are  interspersed  with  dances,  and  when 
the  measures  of  Sir  Roger,  an  Irish  jig,  or  a  Danish 
dance  begin  to  sound  through  the  room  the  hap- 
piness of  rhythmic  motion  seizes  little  bodies 
which  usually  feel  only  fatigue  and  the  shame 
of  raggedness.  For  the  boys  there  are  calis- 
thenic  drills  and  exercises  upon  the  apparatus  of 
the  school  gymnasium.  Cricket  during  the  sum- 
mer and  football  during  the  autumn  and  win- 
ter months  are  encouraged  by  play  leaders,  and 
many  matches  in  these  sports  are  held  Saturday 
mornings  on  the  school  playgrounds. 

The  use  of  the  buildings,  lighted  and  heated,  is 
furnished  by  the  London  County  Council,  but  the 
work  is  carried  on  by  an  Evening  Play  Centres 
Committee  composed  of  twenty-two  members, 
including  representatives  of  the  nobility,  official- 
dom, the  Church,  and  society.  The  organizer  of 
the  movement,  Mrs.  Humphry  Ward,  is  the  chair- 
man, honorary  secretary,  and  treasurer  of  the 
committee,  and  it  is  from  her  report  for  1909  that 
the  following  account  of  the  organization  of  the 
work  is  taken :  "  Each  centre  is  under  the  direction 

240 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

of  a  paid  superintendent,  who  is  responsible  to  the 
Play  Centres  Committee,  and  is  assisted  by  both 
paid  and  voluntary  workers.  .  .  .  The  chil- 
dren attached  to  each  centre  are  chosen,  in  the  first 
instance,  by  the  teachers  of  the  four  or  five  schools, 
as  the  case  may  be,  within  easy  reach  of  the  centre, 
who  are  asked  to  make  the  need  of  the  children 
their  basis  of  choice.  Each  child  attends  a  centre 
normally  twice  a  week,  but  a  third  attendance  is 
allowed  for  the  library  or  quiet  games,  or  for  a  lan- 
tern lecture,  while  in  the  case  of  children  coming 
from  neglected  homes,  or  whose  parents  are  obliged 
to  be  out  at  work  until  late  in  the  evening,  arrange- 
ments can  be  made  for  their  attending  the  centre 
every  evening.  The  evening  is  generally  divided 
into  two  sessions  of  one  hour  each,  attended  by  dif- 
ferent sets  of  children.  At  three  centres,  however, 
we  work  on  a  one-session  time-table,  only  one  set  of 
children  being  admitted  during  the  evening,  but 
remaining  for  an  hour  and  forty  minutes.  Each 
child,  on  joining  a  play  centre,  is  registered  and 
given  a  colored  badge,  which  admits  him  to  one  of 
the  two  sessions  on  two  nights  in  the  week.  Thus, 
a  blue  badge  admits  to  the  first  session  on  Mondays 
and  Thursdays,  a  yellow  badge  to  the  second  ses- 
sion on  Tuesdays  and  Fridays.  Many  of  the 
Wednesday  children  attend  as  a  rule  on  Saturday 
mornings;  but  Wednesday  is  a  one-session  eve- 
ning— that  is  to  say,  only  one  set  of  children  is 
admitted,  but  they  remain  for  an  hour  and  a  half, 
changing  occupations  at  half-time.  The  centres 

16  241 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

are  open  during  forty  weeks  in  the  year,  from 
September  to  July."  The  benefits  of  the  centers 
now  reach  between  9,000  and  10,000  children; 
their  maintenance  depends  upon  the  annual  con- 
tribution of  over  $15,000,  making  the  cost  per 
child  approximately  $1.50  a  year. 

Readers  of  "Robert  Elsmere"  will  be  interested 
to  learn  that  this  undertaking  is  an  offshoot  of 
that  scheme  of  pioneer  philanthropy  in  which  the 
brave  clergyman  found  the  solution  of  his  pain- 
ful problems,  and  which  is  foreshadowed  in  the 
following  passage:  "And  sitting  down  again  on  a 
sand-hill  overgrown  with  wild  grasses  and  mats  of 
sea-thistle,  the  poor  pale  refooner  began  to  draw 
out  the  details  of  his  scheme  on  its  material  side. 
Three  floors  of  rooms  brightly  furnished,  well  lit 
and  warmed;  a  large  hall  for  the  Sunday  lectures, 
concerts,  entertainments,  and  story  telling;  rooms 
for  the  boys'  club;  two  rooms  for  women  and 
girls,  reached  by  a  separate  entrance;  a  library 
and  reading  room  open  to  both  sexes,  well  stored 
with  books,  and  made  beautiful  by  pictures; 
three  or  four  smaller  rooms  to  serve  as  committee 
rooms  and  for  the  purposes  of  the  Naturalist  Club 
which  had  been  started  in  May  on  the  Murewell 
plan;  and,  if  possible,  a  gymnasium/' 

This  institution,  then  a  vision  in  the  mind  of  the 
author,  received  embodiment  afterwards  through 
her  own  efforts  in  a  now  well-known  social  settle- 
ment and  became  a  starting-point  for  many  new 
activities,  of  which  that  undertaken  by  the  Evening 

242 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

Play  Centres  Committee  is  but  a  single  example. 
The  origin  of  this  enterprise  can  best  be  described 
in  the  words  of  its  prime  mover :  "  I  n  1 897  the  Pass- 
more  Edwards  Settlement,  in  Tavistock  Place, 
started  some  evening  classes  and  games,  as  a 
counter-attraction  to  the  life  and  loafing  of  the 
streets,  for  the  children  of  the  neighboring  ele- 
mentary schools.  These  classes  have  now  de- 
veloped into  a  large  Children's  Recreation  School, 
or  Play  Centre,  open  five  evenings  in  the  week 
for  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  and  from  10  to 
12.30  on  Saturday  mornings.  .  .  .  The  suc- 
cess of  this  work  led,  in  the  winter  of  1904,  to  the 
raising  of  a  Fund  and  to  the  formation  of  a  Com- 
mittee for  the  establishment  of  Evening  Play  Cen- 
tres in  Council  School  buildings,  in  some  of  the 
poorest  and  most  crowded  parts  of  London." 

The  aim  of  the  Committee  is  to  secure  the  per- 
manence of  its  work  through  its  adoption  by  the 
public  authorities,  and  to  this  end  Mrs.  Ward  is 
working  most  ardently,  expending  her  energies 
not  only  in  personal  championship,  but  also  in 
documentary  appeals,  distinguished  by  literary 
charm  and  convincing  facts.  These  are  addressed 
to  the  London  County  Council  and  to  the  English 
public  through  the  medium  of  The  Times.  The 
government  school  inspectors  have  already  filed 
encouraging  reports  about  the  handicraft  work  in 
these  classes,  and  although  the  party  of  economy 
in  the  Council  still  (January,  1910)  stands  in  the 
way  of  full  support,  the  hopes  of  the  Committee 

243 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

have  been  raised  by  a  small  government  grant 
recently  made  for  light  woodwork. 

THE  MOVEMENT  ELSEWHERE  IN  ENGLAND 

Upon  this  topic  the  1909  report  of  the  Evening 
Play  Centres  Committee  contains  the  following: 
"  But,  in  addition  to  the  growth  of  our  own  centres, 
we  have  to  report  the  spread  of  the  movement  out- 
side our  Committee.  Lord  Iveagh  has  opened  a 
centre  in  Dublin;  the  large  play  centre  attached 
to  the  Jewish  Free  School  in  Whitechapel  has  been 
opened,  and  is  working  admirably;  another  centre 
has  been  organized  by  the  governors  of  the  Peo- 
ple's Palace,  Stepney.  For  these  centres  we  have 
been  able  to  supply  superintendents  trained  for 
a  longer  or  shorter  time  under  our  Committee. 
Fresh  proposals  also  are  constantly  being  made  to 
us."  In  support  of  the  latter  statement  the  re- 
port then  tells  of  applications  for  assistance  which 
had  been  received  from  Paddington,  Bermondsey 
and  Deptford. 

The  Recreative  Evening  Classes  Committee  of 
Manchester,  which  is  organized  under  the  presi- 
dency of  the  Bishop  of  Manchester  and  includes 
the  mayor  and  several  titled  personages  among  its 
vice-presidents,  has  a  sub-division  known  as  the 
Children's  Happy  Evening  Section.  This  body 
has  surrounded  itself  with  a  band  of  voluntary 
helpers  who  carry  on  weekly  entertainments  in 
school  buildings  and  other  suitable  quarters  for 
the  benefit  of  the  neighborhood  children.  The 

244 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 

season's  program  includes  concerts,  gramophone 
entertainments,  competitions  in  singing  and  recit- 
ing, contests  in  draughts  and  skipping  rope  as  well 
as  battledore  and  shuttlecock,  and  other  games. 
Football  and  cricket  are  played  in  the  basements 
while  in  the  quiet  room  the  children  amuse 
themselves  with  bead-laying,  crayon  drawing, 
and  similar  occupations.  Three  municipal  schools 
were  used  during  the  season  of  1908-09  at  which 
the  weekly  attendance  ran  between  200  and  250. 

The  Bradford  Cinderella  Club  which  has  for  its 
object  "  the  feeding,  clothing  and  entertainment  of 
poor  children,"  describes  in  its  1908-09  report  a 
similar  enterprise:  "One  of  the  most  interesting 
departments  of  our  work  is  the  provision  of 
'Treats/  consisting  of  tea  and  entertainment,  to 
parties  of  poor  children  almost  every  Saturday 
during  the  winter  months.  During  last  winter 
we  organized  twenty-five  of  these  treats  to  parties 
of  300  children  in  all  the  poorer  quarters  of  the 
city,  in  schools  which  were  kindly  lent  us  for  the 
purpose/'  They  find  that  a  "treat"  for  300 
children  costs  between  $18  and  $19. 

As  has  been  suggested  already  there  are,  in  both 
America  and  England,  undertakings  not  men- 
tioned in  the  present  chapter  which  nevertheless 
provide  recreation  during  the  evening  in  school 
buildings.  Their  activities  are  predominantly 
social  in  character  and  they  thus  belong  more 
properly  under  that  title.  The  line  of  demarcation 
between  the  recreation  and  the  social  center  is 

245 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

difficult  to  draw,  but  the  obvious  necessity  of 
some  sort  of  classification,  if  they  were  to  be  dis- 
cussed separately,  made  an  attempt  at  definition 
obligatory.  For  the  purposes  of  this  study,  there- 
fore, a  recreation  center  has  been  regarded  as  an 
institution  providing  chiefly  those  pleasurable 
activities  wherein  the  enjoyment  is  always  de- 
pendent upon  the  use  of  some  article  or  apparatus, 
or  involves  physical  exercise  in  accordance  with 
certain  rules  or  standards,  and  is  little  affected  by 
personal  distinctions.  In  the  social  center,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  enjoyment  is  more  contingent 
upon  the  mutual  companionability  of  the  indi- 
viduals participating,  demands  little  or  no  ap- 
paratus and  involves  intellectual  rather  than 
physical  performances.  No  existing  institution, 
of  course,  provides  activities  wholly  confined  to 
either  one  of  these  classes,  but  usually  one  type  has 
been  sufficiently  emphasized  in  excess  of  the  other 
to  furnish  the  basis  of  a  working  classification. 

REFERENCES 

WARD,  MRS.  HUMPHRY:    The  Play-Time  of  the  Poor.     Reprinted 
from  The  Times.     Smith,   Elder  and  Co.,   15  Waterloo  Place, 
London.     Pages  28.     Price  twopence.     1906. 
Evening  Play  Centres.    Reprinted  from  The  Times.    Spottiswoode 

and  Co.,  Ltd.,  New-Street  Square,  London.     Pages  17. 
Annual    Reports  of   the  Evening    Play   Centres   Committee,   25 

Grosvenor  Place,  S.  W.,  London. 

WHITNEY,  EVANGELINE  E.:  Annual  Reports  as  District  Superin- 
tendent in  charge  of  Vacation  Schools,  Playgrounds  and  Eve- 
ning Recreation  Centres,  contained  in  the  annual  reports  of  the 
City  Superintendent  of  Schools,  New  York  City,  from  1904-1909. 
Vacation  Schools,  Playgrounds,  and  Recreation  Centres.  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  National  Education  Association,  1904. 
See  also  the  annual  reports  of  the  voluntary  organizations  men- 
tioned in  the  text. 

246 


IX 

SOCIAL  CENTERS 


CHAPTER  IX 
SOCIAL  CENTERS 

SATURDAY  night,  in  most  places,  is  the 
only  night  of  the  week  when  the  forces  of 
education  and  righteousness  frankly  pro- 
claim a  truce  with  the  working  world  and  allow 
it  untrammeled  opportunity  to  spend,  relax  and 
revel.  An  evening  so  generally  given  over  to  the 
store,  the  theatre  and  the  saloon  is  not  the  time 
when  you  would  naturally  turn  to  the  school 
house  for  diversion.  And  yet  to  a  person  with  a 
fondness  for  fellowship  it  is  precisely  the  week- 
end night  during  the  period  from  November  to 
April  when  a  visit  to  the  Rochester  School  known 
as  "Number  Nine"  will  be  most^  worth  while. 
Even  though  a  stranger  in  the  city  you  cannot 
miss  the  place,  because  at  the  left  of  the  Joseph 
Street  entrance  there  is  an  illuminated  sign  saying: 

SOCIAL  CENTER 
Clubs,  Library,  Gymnasium,  Baths 

Open 

Wed.  &  Fri.  7:30  to  10:00     For  Men  and  Boys 

Sunday  2:30  to    6:00     For  Women  and  Girls 

Saturday  8:00  to  10:30     Lecture  or  Entertainment 

249 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

In  spaces  below,  a  program  is  given: 

WEDNESDAY:  Address  by  a  Business  Man,  "Do  It  For 

Rochester" 

FRIDAY:  Debate  on  Free  Text-Books 
SATURDAY:    Recitations  and  Impersonations 
SUNDAY:  "Social"  for  the  Women's  Clubs 

On  Saturday  nights  the  side  entrance  is  used 
and  you  will  find  a  string  of  people  ascending  its 
stone  steps  at  almost  any  time  from  8:00  to  8:30 
o'clock.  Scarcely  has  the  threshold  been  reached 
before  your  ears  will  be  greeted  with  the  sound  of 
singing — probably  words  like  these  set  to  the  tune 
of  "Mr.  Dooley": 

Now  there  are  some  distinctions  that  are  seen  upon  the 

street 
For  some  folks  ride  in  auto  cars  and  some  ride  on  their 

feet, 
And  worry  about  the  price  of  clothes  comes  in  and 

spoils  the  fun, 
But  there's  a  place  where  hats  are  off  and  rich  and  poor 

are  one. 

Strong  and  clear  come  the  phrases  but  they  do 
not  so  nearly  drown  the  orchestral  accompaniment 
as  does  the  chorus  that  follows : 

I  t's — at — the — Center 

The  Social  Center 

The  place  where  everybody  feels  at  home; 

Forgets  th'  external 

And  gets  fraternal; 

And  knows  the  time  for  friendliness  has  come. 

Near  the  doorway  stands  a  pleasant  looking 
young  fellow  who  turns  away  school  children  and 
welcomes  strangers,  who  are  then  taken  in  hand 

250 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

by  the  ushers.  The  hall  is  an  immense  room  whose 
only  illumination  at  the  moment  comes  from  a 
screen  over  the  platform  upon  which  the  words  of 
another  song  are  now  projected  by  a  lantern: 

There  once  was  a  school  house,  a  great  mental  tool 

house, 

Was  shut  every  night  in  the  year, 
Till  the  people  who  hovered  around  it  discovered 
That  this  was  a  folly  too  dear. 
Said  they,  "  If  'tis  ours,  then  we  have  the  powers 
To  use  it  whenever  we  will." 
So  'twas  opened  at  night,  and  today  with  delight 
You  can  hear  them  a-shouting  their  fill. 

Then  in  the  chorus  the  whole,  vast  audience 
gives  itself  up  to  one  prodigious  yell  of  merriment: 

E  Yip  I  Addy,  I  Ay,  I  Ay, 

Oh,  Number  Nine  is  O.  K.! 

For  all  Social  Centers  we'll  yell  and  we'll  shout, 

But  old  Number  Nine,  sir,  will  beat  them  all  out. 

E  Yip  I  Addy,  I  Ay,  I  Ay 

After  another  stanza  and  a  double  round  of  the 
rollicking  chorus  the  lights  are  turned  on  and  the 
details  of  the  room  become  visible.  Overhead 
are  naked  iron  trusses  which  support  the  roof  and 
to  which  are  attached  at  regular  intervals  clusters 
of  electric  bulbs  protected  by  wire  cages.  The 
horizontal  bar,  traveling  rings  and  rope  ladder 
which  have  been  drawn  up  among  the  roof  beams 
and  also  the  parallel  bars,  pulley  weights  and  other 
apparatus  along  the  unornamented  brick  side  walls, 
show  that  the  room  is  used  as  a  gymnasium  as 
well  as  a  place  for  assembling.  All  the  chairs  are 
now  filled;  there  are  no  children;  every  woman's 

251 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

hat  is  in  her  lap  and  the  audience  seems  one  solid, 
level  mass  of  humanity.  In  a  small  space  before 
the  platform  is  stowed  an  orchestra  of  a  dozen 
members  of  which  the  pianist  and  two  violinists 
are  women. 

After  a  half  hour  of  general  singing  a  young 
man  rises  near  the  piano  and  gives  "The  Two 
Grenadiers"  in  a  vibrant  baritone  voice.  The 
applause  is  persistent  but  is  finally  quieted  by  the 
appearance  upon  the  platform  of  a  man  in  a  busi- 
ness suit  who  walks  briskly  to  the  front  and  stands 
waiting  for  attention.  "The  president  of  the 
men's  club/'  whispers  a  young  woman  to  her 
neighbor;  "the  men  are  in  charge  to-night." 
When  the  room  is  still  the  chairman  calls  upon  the 
secretary  of  the  Women's  Civic  Club  to  make 
any  announcements  she  has  to  offer.  Thereupon 
a  middle-aged  Jewish  woman  with  glasses  comes 
down  in  front  and  cordially  invites  all  of  the 
women  in  the  audience  to  attend  a  social  meeting 
on  the  following  afternoon.  "There's  just  one 
place,"  says  she,  "where  we  all  know  that  we  are 
one  in  heart  and  that's  at  the  Social  Center.  As 
one  of  our  members  expressed  it  the  other  day, 
'  I  never  realized  before  that  people  who  are  so 
different  are  so  much  the  same.'  The  object  of 
our  club  is  to  enable  us  to  become  better  informed 
upon  public  questions  and  better  acquainted  with 
our  neighbors.  There  are  no  dues  or  initiation 
fees  and  every  woman  in  the  neighborhood  is  en- 
titled to  membership.  One  week  from  Sunday 

252 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

afternoon  our  health  officer,  Dr.  Goler,  will  give 
the  club*  An  Illustrated  Health  Talk/  All  women 
are  cordially  invited  to  be  present." 

The  chairman  then  calls  upon  the  secretary  of 
the  Young  Woman's  Civic  Club  who  announces 
that  "  to-morrow  afternoon  the  club  will  be  favored 
with  a  talk  on  camp  life  by  Miss  Anna  Jones/' 
An  officer  of  the  Coming  Civic  Club  informs  the 
audience  that  on  the  following  Friday  evening  it 
will  hold  a  debate  upon  the  resolution  that  "the 
Philippines  should  be  granted  full  self-govern- 
ment" and  all  young  men  between  seventeen  and 
twenty-one  are  invited  to  attend  and  become 
members.  He  adds  that  at  the  close  of  the  meet- 
ing on  Friday  a  free  gymnasium  class  will  be 
formed.  Then  comes  an  announcement  from  the 
chairman  in  his  capacity  as  president  of  the  Men's 
Civic  Club.  Last  week  they  heard  an  address 
upon  "A  Man's  Right  to  Work";  on  the  coming 
Wednesday  evening  at  eight  o'clock  the  club  will 
meet  to  discuss  the  same  subject.  "Each  person 
present  will  be  allowed  to  speak  five  minutes 
upon  the  topic  of  the  evening  or  ask  relevant 
questions.  The  large  audience  last  week  and 
the  keen  interest  manifested  by  those  who  at- 
tended make  the  prospects  excellent  for  a  lively 
discussion  the  coming  Wednesday.  All  men  of 
the  neighborhood,  who  are  of  age,  are  invited  to 
attend  and  join  the  club.  Membership  is  free. 
Meetings  are  held  in  a  class  room  on  the  Baden 
Street  side." 

253 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Then  down  the  platform  comes  a  figure  which 
causes  a  perceptible  hush  in  the  room.  Wearing 
a  gray  flannel  shirt,  flowing  black  tie  and  leggings 
that  smack  of  the  motor  cycle,  the  man  has  the 
build  of  a  wrestler  and  the  face  of  a  scholar.  It 
is  not  what  he  says  but  something  in  his  manner 
that  makes  you  feel  you  are  listening  to  one  of 
your  own  home  folks.  The  speaker  tells  about 
a  playground  which  the  Men's  Civic  Club  at 
Number  Fourteen  has  succeeded  in  getting,  an 
improvement  in  the  Carter  street  sewer  brought 
about  by  the  men  at  Number  Thirty-six,  the 
recipe  exchange  which  the  women  at  another 
center  have  instituted  and  the  public  art  exhibi- 
tion which  in  a  short  time  will  be  held  at  the  East 
High  School.  Already  Collier's  has  promised  its 
collection  of  original  drawings,  while  the  canvas- 
sers among  the  local  owners  of  paintings  have  so 
far  not  met  with  a  single  refusal.  A  week  from 
that  night  the  meeting  in  that  room  will  be  in 
charge  of  the  women's  club  and  the  special 
feature  will  be  an  address  upon  "  Public  Health 
as  a  Political  Issue"  by  a  well-known  New  York 
physician  and  writer.  Following  the  meeting 
there  will  be  a  basket  ball  game  and  a  general 
good  time.  For  the  benefit  of  strangers  the 
speaker  tells  about  the  objects  of  the  civic  clubs 
in  which  the  members  talk  "about  the  things  that 
ought  to  be  talked  about"  and  find  that  they  can 
"disagree  agreeably,"  and  of  the  social  centers 
where  it  is  being  discovered  that  "beneath  all 

254 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

seas  the  earth  is  one"  and  that  "there  is  good 
even  in  the  best  people." 

The  dramatic  readings  and  impersonations  that 
follow  these  announcements  are  interspersed  with 
outbursts  of  applause,  during  which  the  people  in 
the  audience  make  appreciative  remarks  to  each 
other  and  the  ice  of  formality  is  thawed  in  the 
warmth  of  a  common  emotion.  After  the  last 
round  of  applause  there  is  a  sound  of  violins 
being  tuned,  followed  by  a  couple  of  bars  of 
music.  At  this  signal  each  person  picks  up  his 
chair  and  moves  towards  the  wall.  Those  near 
the  exits  take  theirs  into  adjoining  halls  and 
rooms  while  the  others  stack  their  seats  along 
the  sides  of  the  room  so  that  in  the  space  of  a 
few  moments  half  the  floor  area  is  entirely 
cleared  and  several  young  men  are  walking  about 
sprinkling  powdered  wax  over  its  smooth  surface. 
The  orchestra  strikes  up  a  two-step.  Immedi-  \ 
ately  couples  all  over  the  room  glide  out  onto  the 
floor,  in  zigzag  accompaniment  to  the  pulsating 
music.  The  members  of  the  reception  committee 
seek  out  the  strangers,  introduce  them  to  partners 
and  then  during  lulls  in  the  merriment  show  them 
around  the  building.  They  see  the  spacious  kin- 
dergarten room  where  the  club  meetings  are  held, 
the  class  room  next  to  it  where  magazines  are 
spread  out  on  a  long  table,  books  stand  invitingly 
on  open  shelves,  and  checkers,  chess  and  dominoes 
are  available,  and  finally  the  shower  baths  with 
their  marble  compartments,  modern  plumbing 

255 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  adjacent  dressing  room.  On  Wednesday  and 
Friday  evenings,  it  is  explained,  these  are  open 
for  public  use  and  everything  is  free. 

ROCHESTER  SOCIAL  CENTER  ACTIVITIES 

The  "general  evening"  which  has  just  been  de- 
scribed is  the  most  comprehensive  among  these 
activities  in  that  it,  more  than  any  other,  brings 
men  and  women,  young  and  old,  together  at  an 
occasion  which  provides  more  or  less  abundantly 
for  all  their  varied  interests.  In  1909,  366  was 
the  average  attendance  at  the  69  programs  given 
in  the  three  most  prominent  centers.  The  char- 
acter of  the  speakers  and  their  topics  may  be  seen 
from  the  following  selections: 

Rev.  C.  A.  Barbour,  D.D.,  Our  National  Wonderland 

(illustrated) 

Frank  C.  Dawley,  Bird  Neighbors  (illustrated) 
Mrs.  Bertha  Pendexter  Eldredge,  Readings 
Rev.  Edwin  A.  Rumball,  The  Personality  of  Ferrer 
Dr.  Samuel  M.  Crothers,  The  Progress  of  Invention 
Professor  Earl  Barnes,  Meaning  of  Education 
Bolton  Hall,  The  Use  of  Land 
President  Rush  Rhees,  Liberty  and  Government 
Mrs.  Florence  Kelley,  The  Work  of  Girls 
Misses  Tuthill  and  Garzak,  Musical  Evening 
Professor  Frazier,  Servant  in  the  House 

Instead  of  a  dance  or  basket  ball  game  follow- 
ing the  address  or  entertainment,  the  hour  was 
sometimes  given  up  to  general  sociability  or  to  a 
^gymnastic  and  athletic  exhibition.  The  part  ap- 
parently most  enjoyed  by  the  members,  however, 
was  the  singing  in  which  not  only  lantern  pic-  \ 

256 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

tures  were  used  but  a  book  containing  a  number 
of  songs  like  those  quoted.  As  has  been  said,  the 
general  exercises  at  Public  School  Number  Nine 
were  held  on  Saturday  evenings;  at  Number 
Fourteen  they  were  held  on  Fridays,  while  at  the 
West  High  School  they  usually  occurred  on  Thurs- 
day evenings. 

These  three  buildings  situated,  roughly  speak- 
ing, among  laboring,  middle  and  well-to-do  classes, 
are  those  which  the  Board  of  Education  has 
equipped  most  completely  for  social  activities. 
But  the  board  has  adopted  such  a  liberal  and 
encouraging  policy  in  respect  to  all  its  buildings* 
that  young  people  and  grown-ups  all  over  the  city, 
incited  by  the  "good  times"  reported  from  the 
first  centers,  have  organized  themselves  into  civic 
clubs  and  have  begun  to  find  their  evening  enjoy- 
ment also  in  class  rooms  and  halls.  The  move- 
ment has  grown  until  eighteen,  quite  half  of  the 
total  number  of  school  buildings  in  the  city,  are 
used  by  various  communities  for  social  purposes; 
and  besides  the  three  centers  named  there  are 
some  half  dozen  others  where  "general  meetings/' 
having  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  one  de- 
scribed, are  also  held. 

MEN'S  Civic  CLUBS 

Whereas,  the  welfare  of  society  demands  that  those 
whose  duty  it  is  to  exercise  the  franchise  be  well  in- 
formed upon  the  economic,  industrial  and  political 

*  See  Appendix  B  for  full  text  of  regulations. 
'7  257 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

questions  of  today;  ....  therefore,  we  ....  do 
form  a  society  to  hold,  in  the  public  school  building, 
meetings  whose  object  shall  be  the  gaining  of  informa- 
tion upon  public  questions  by  listening  to  public  speak- 
ers and  by  public  readings  and  discussions. 

Thus  does  the  constitution  of  the  civic  club 
first  organized — that  at  Number  Fourteen  Social 
Center — express  its  object;  and  the  rapidity  with 
which  it  got  down  to  business  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  its  second  meeting, — at  which  its  twelve 
members  grew  to  fifty, — was  addressed  by  one  of 
the  city  fathers  upon  "The  Duties  of  an  Alder- 
man." In 'responding  to  the  vote  of  thanks  the 
speaker  said:  "  If  you  have  been  benefited  by  my 
coming  here,  I  have  benefited  more.  If  every 
member  of  the  Common  Council  and  every  other 
public  servant  had,  frequently,  such  opportunities 
as  this  to  discuss  public  matters  with  those  to 
whom  he  owes  his  appointment,  it  would  mean 
that  we  would  have  much  better,  more  intelligent 
representation  of  the  people's  interests  and  a 
cleaner  government/'  The  first  president  of  the 
club  was  a  successful  physician  who  motored  to 
the  meetings  in  his  own  car;  the  vice-president 
was  a  labor  agitator,  the  secretary  a  journeyman 
printer,  and  the  treasurer  a  bank  director,  while 
the  membership  was  equally  representative  of  the 
various  classes. 

The  meetings  of  the  club  are  held  on  Thursday 
evenings  during  the  late  fall,  winter  and  early 
spring,  and  the  usual  procedure  is  to  have  a  shortx 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

business  session,  an  address  by  some  speaker  of 
local  prominence,  and  then  an  open  discussion  in 
which  the  members  are  limited  in  time  and  to  the 
topic  for  the  evening.  At  the  close  the  speaker 
replies  to  questions  and  sums  up  the  discussion. 
The  range  of  subjects  is  indicated  by  the  following 
list  picked  from  an  annual  program: 

Public  school  extension  The  policies  of  the  different 
Rochester's  milk  national  political  parties 

The  panic  Non-partisan  political 
Rochester's  water  supply  ideals 

The  Italian  question  Direct  primaries 

Credit  abuses  Industrial  training 
The  social  value  of  the  theatre 

These  matters  were  presented  by  city  officials, 
college  professors,  labor  leaders,  politicians,  law- 
yers, clergymen,  business  men  and  prominent 
immigrants,  and  none  of  the  speakers  or  any  of 
the  expenses  of  the  meetings  were  paid  out  of 
public  funds.  On  the  anniversary  of  its  organiza- 
tion the  club  usually  holds  a  banquet  at  which  the 
men  provide  the  eatables  and  the  members  of  the 
Women's  Civic  Club  of  the  same  center  serve 
them;  representatives  from  the  other  clubs  are 
invited  and  addresses  are  made  by  persons  promi- 
nent in  civic  affairs.  The  use  of  school  buildings 
for  political  discussions  was  the  topic  considered 
at  the  first  of  these  occasions  (for  the  conclusions 
reached  see  remarks  of  President  Forbes  quoted 
on  page  274)  and^also  at  the  second  when  Profes- 
sor Charles  Zueblin  spoke  to  a  company  of  men 
and  women  numbering  over  two  hundred,  who 

259 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

enlivened  the  intellectual  repast  with  Social  Center 
songs. 

While  all  these  activities  are  carried  on  by 
the  Men's  Civic  Club  at  Number  Fourteen,  the 
pioneer  and  also  one  of  the  strongest  of  the  clubs, 
they  illustrate  the  general  character  of  the  work 
done  by  the  sixteen  others  which,  by  the  fall  of 
1909,  had  been  organized  to  meet  in  school  build- 
ings. During  this  year  they  held  a  total  of  232 
meetings  at  which  there  was  an  average  attendance 
of  fifty  men.  The  smallest  number  of  meetings 
held  by  any  men's  club  during  the  year  was  four, 
the  largest  forty-one,  and  the  average  for  the 
seventeen  clubs  was  thirteen.  Two  of  the  socie- 
ties were  composed  entirely  of  Italians  banded 
together  for  the  double  purpose  of  protecting 
newly  arrived  compatriots  and  of  acquiring  an 
understanding  of  American  citizenship.  As  has 
been  indicated,  the  men's  clubs  have  not  been  con- 
tented with  merely  listening  and  talking;  they 
have  also  been  doing  things.  At  several  of  the 
schools  they  were  instrumental  in  securing  play- 
grounds; their  agitation  has  brought  about  im- 
provements in  the  streets  and  street  car  service, 
and  the  establishment  of  public  comfort  stations; 
and  they  have  set  the  example  of  organized  com- 
munity action  to  prevent  unsatisfactory  divisions 
of  land  by  real  estate  companies. 


260 


SOCIAL    CENTERS 

OTHER  Civic  CLUBS    "^ 

The  three  women's  civic  clubs  hold  meetings 
after  the  same  fashion  as  the  men  and  talk  about 
matters  of  equal  importance,  though  as  would 
be  expected  municipal  affairs  do  not  receive  as 
much  attention  as  the  subjects  of  child  labor, 
woman's  suffrage,  social  purity,  free  text-books  < 
and  good  taste  in  home  art.  Naturally,  too,  their 
activities  are  much  more  social  in  character.  Fre- 
quently they  entertain  the  men's  club  of  the  same 
center,  decorating  the  rooms,  providing  the  enter- 
tainment and  serving  the  refreshments,  while  the 
men  pay  the  bills. 

On  one  occasion  the  women  at  Number  Four- 
teen, who  were  almost  all  American  born,  were 
"at  home"  to  the  Italian  Men's  Club,  the  majority 
of  whom  spoke  English  only  imperfectly.  At  the 
height  of  the  festivities  the  hostesses  presented 
their  guests  with  a  silk  Italian  flag  for  their  club 
while  the  men  reciprocated  by  giving  the  women  a 
large  picture  of  George  Washington.  So  pleasant 
was  the  evening  that  one  of  the  women  remarked, 
"  I  never  realized  before  how  interesting  humanity 
is."  Another  night  the  same  club  held  a  "  Recipe 
Exchange."  Each  member  brought  her  favorite 
dish  and  wrote  its  recipe  upon  the  blackboard  so 
that  the  others  could  copy  it.  At  the  close  samples 
of  the  various  dishes  were  served  to  the  members. 
At  these  meetings  ostentation  in  dress  is  avoided; 

261 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

hats  are  left  in  the  cloak  room  and  formality  is 
dispensed  with. 

During  the  summer  months  after  the  close  of  the 
social  center  season  some  of  the  women's  clubs  still 
hold  meetings,  and  also  organize  picnics  and  club 
outings.  But,  as  with  the  men,  talking  and 
having  "good  times"  do  not  consume  all  of  their 
energies.  Each  club  has  a  social  service  commit- 
tee which  learns  the  wants  of  poor  families  in  the 
neighborhood  and  serves  as  a  clearing-house  where 
superfluous  goods  are  "connected  up"  with  the 
needy.  At  the  West  High  School  the  women  held 
a  bazaar  and  gave  a  play  thereby  raising  nearly 
$200  for  the  support  of  free  dental  clinics.  The 
degree  to  which  denominational  and  race  barriers 
are  broken  down  in  these  societies  is  indicated 
by  the  fact  that  at  one  time  the  officers  of  the 
women's  club  of  Number  Fourteen  included  two 
Jewesses,  two  Catholics,  a  Methodist,  a  member 
of  no  sect,  and  a  colored  Baptist. 

Among  the  young  people  also  civic  clubs  have  V 
been  organized,  but  these  differ  from  the  clubs  ' 
for  adults  in  that  each  has  a  director  who  is 
furnished  by  the  Board  of  Education.  Expenses 
incurred  for  the  printing  of  programs,  serving 
of  refreshments  or  any  other  provision  for  their 
meetings  are  met  from  club  dues.  The  boys  from 
fourteen  to  seventeen  belong  to  "Future  Civic 
Clubs"  while  those  from  seventeen  to  twenty-one 
take  the  name  of. "Coming  Civic  Clubs."  Both 
the  boys'  and  girls'  clubs,  for  the  serious  side  of 

262 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

their  work,  hold  business  meetings  and  debates 
and  have  addresses  delivered  by  outsiders,  while 
for  recreation  they  engage  in  basket  ball,  "gym" 
classes,  and  social  affairs.  Once  a  year  it  is 
customary  for  each  of  the  boys'  clubs  to  enter- 
tain one  of  the  girls'  organizations — this  event 
sometimes  takes  the  form  of  a  sleighride  and 
supper;  later  the  girls  return  the  hospitality. 
On  two  successive  years  one  of  the  boys'  clubs 
gave  a  successful  minstrel  show,  but  the  chief 
interest  of  these  young  citizens  seems  to  center  in 
forensics,  and  the  annual  triangular  debates  be- 
tween teams  from  the  three  centers  for  the  cham- 
pionship trophy,  a  bust  of  Lincoln,  arouses  the 
keenest  rivalry.  While  some  of  the  girls'  clubs 
started  out  with  the  lofty  ideal  of  studying  Shake- 
speare and  then  later  found  themselves  devoting 
an  increasing  amount  of  time  to  basket  ball,  on 
the  whole  a  pretty  even  balance  is  maintained. 
During  the  year  each  club  usually  presents  a 
complete  play,  conducts  several  debates,  and 
holds  business  meetings,  besides  participating  in 
games  and  athletics.  The  effect  of  the  work  of  the 
civic  clubs  upon  street  boys  is  illustrated  by  the 
following  incident  contained  in  the  printed  report: 
"A  month  after  the  opening,  a  merchant,  whose 
place  of  business  is  near  the  center,  stopped  the 
director  on  the  street  to  say,  'The  Social  Center 
has  accomplished  what  I  had  regarded  as  im- 
possible. I  have  been  here  nine  years  and  during 
that  time  there  has  always  been  a  gang  of  toughs 

263 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

around  these  corners  which  has  been  a  continued 
nuisance.  This  winter  the  gang  has  disappeared/ 
'They  aren't  a  gang  any  more/  answered  the 
director,  'they  are  a  debating  dub." 

The  first  civic  club  was  organized  December, 
1 907,  with  twelve  charter  members.  I n  February, 
1909,  there  were  sixteen  clubs  with  1 500  members, 
and,  feeling  the  advantages  to  be  gained  from 
further  combination,  sixty  delegates,  representing 
the  adult  clubs,  met  in  the  Municipal  Building 
and  organized  "The  League  of  Civic  Clubs/' 
The  objects,  as  stated  in  its  constitution,  are: 

To  increase  the  effectiveness  of  the  Civic  Clubs  and 
to  further  their  purpose,  especially  in  such  matters  as 
the  securing  and  entertaining  of  distinguished  visitors 
to  the  city;  in  giving  unity  to  the  expression,  through 
the  various  Civic  Clubs,  of  the  people's  will  in  the 
matter  of  desired  legislation,  and  in  guiding  the  further 
extension  of  the  Civic  Club  movement  with  a  view  to  the 
welfare  of  the  city  as  a  whole.  .  .  . 

In  accordance  with  these  aims  and  its  motto 
"  For  the  City  as  a  Whole"  the  League  has  worked 
for  the  establishment  of  public  comfort  stations 
and  other  municipal  improvements.  One  of  its 
most  conspicuous  early  achievements  was  to  per- 
suade Governor  Hughes  to  come  and  dine  with 
them.  An  earlier  invitation  had  been  extended 
by  the  supervisor  of  the  social  centers,  but  al- 
though endorsed  by  the  mayor,  and  presidents 
of  the  Board  of  Education  and  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce, it  had  been  unsuccessful.  After  the  for- 
mation of  the  League  an  elaborate  printed  invi- 

264 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

tation  was  gotten  up,  signed  by  1270  members, 
bound  in  a  book  and  carried  by  a  committee  to 
Albany.  The  governor  arrived  on  the  appointed 
afternoon,  inspected  some  "gym"  work  at  one 
center,  held  an  informal  reception  at  another,  and 
was  banqueted  at  the  third,  the  members  of  the 
Women's  Club  acting  as  hostesses  and  serving 
with  their  own  hands.  In  the  evening  a  large 
meeting  was  held  in  Convention  Hall  at  which  the 
mayor  and  many  prominent  citizens  were  present, 
a  social  center  orchestra  furnished  music  and  the 
governor  gave  an  address  upon  "  Direct  Primaries." 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  reception  which  fol- 
lowed he  said:  "I  am  more  interested  in  what 
you  are  doing  and  what  it  stands  for,  than  in 
anything  else  in  the  world.  .  .  .  You  are 
buttressing  the  foundations  of  democracy;  you 
are  making  it  more  sure  that  our  children  will 
enjoy,  even  more  richly,  that  which  we  have 
cherished  in  our  lives." 

Besides  the  civic  clubs  other  organizations  of  a 
special  character  have  been  formed  at  several  of 
the  centers,  such  as  the  "Spontaneous  Art  Club," 
composed  of  a  group  of  young  men  and  women; 
and  orchestras  and  singing  clubs.  For  the  conduct 
of  the  latter  bodies  the  board  engaged  the  director 
of  the  Symphony  Orchestra  who  went  about  from 
school  to  school.  Through  co-operation  between 
the  Rochester  Art  Club,  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Club 
and  the  social  center  officials,  an  art  exhibition 
was  held  during  two  weeks  in  February  in  the 

265 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

assembly  hall  of  one  of  the  high  schools.  Paint- 
ings, drawings  and  photographic  reproductions  to 
the  number  of  172  appear  in  the  printed  catalogue, 
and  at  the  three  public  meetings  held  in  connection 
with  the  exhibit  there  were  addresses  by  promi- 
nent art  critics,  artists  and  educators,  and  music 
by  an  orchestra  and  glee  club.  The  local  street 
car  company  carried,  without  charge,  announce- 
ment placards,  and  more  than  ten  thousand  people 
visited  the  exhibit. 

At  each  of  the  three  principal  centers  the  libra- 
rian of  the  reading  room  ran  a  bureau  of  informa- 
tion through  which  many  persons  needing  work 
secured  positions.  In  the  gymnasiums  there  have 
been,  besides  the  usual  drills  with  dumb  bells, 
Indian  clubs  and  wands,  and  apparatus  work, 
classes  in  fencing,  boxing  and  wrestling,  and  inter- 
center  basket  ball  tournaments.  Certain  evenings 
are  set  aside  for  girls  and  women — many  of  them 
elderly — at  which  time  they  are  drilled  in  floor 
work,  and  games  and  folk  dances  with  musical 
accompaniment.  'Physical  examinations  by  a  doc- 
tor and  gymnasium  director  constitute  part  of  the 
regular  supervision.  Of  the  young  people  only 
those  are  admitted  to  the  physical  training  classes 
who  are  members  of  civic  clubs.  The  fact  that 
the  adults  are  mainly  interested  in  the  club  ac- 
tivities anyway  has  made  such  a  rule  unnecessary 
in  their  case.  The  library  and  reading  rooms  are 
open  three  days  a  week  to  the  frequenters  of  the 
centers.  Here,  besides  the  magazines  subscribed 

266 


C&i 


How  ROCHESTER  WOMEN  KEEP  ATTRACTIVE 


SCHOOL  LIBRARY  IN  GOOD  USE  SATURDAY  NIGHT 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

for  out  of  the  social  center  appropriation,  and  the 
daily  papers,  generally  donated  by  their  publishers, 
is  to  be  found  a  traveling  library  of  500  volumes 
which  is  changed  every  three  months. 

EQUIPMENT  AND  ADMINISTRATION 

The  first  building  equipped  as  a  social  center, 
Number  Fourteen  School,  is  so  typical  of  the 
grammar  school  edifice  found  all  over  the  country 
that  the  manner  of  adapting  it  to  meet  the  social 
needs  of  the  community  is  quoted  in  full  from  one 
of  the  supervisor's  early  reports: 

The  parts  of  the  building  which  it  was  decided 
should  be  used  for  the  Social  Center  were  the  assembly 
hall  on  the  third  floor  which  was  to  serve  five  nights 
each  week  as  a  gymnasium  and  one  night  for  an  audi- 
torium; the  kindergarten  room  on  the  ground  floor, 
which  was  to  be  used  as  a  reading  and  auiet  game 
room,  and  the  art  and  physics  rooms  of  the  Normal 
School,  which  were  to  serve  for  club  meetings.  The 
first  step  in  the  equipping  of  the  building  was  the  in- 
stallation of  iron  gates  shutting  off  the  parts  of  the 
building  which  were  not  to  be  used  for  the  Social 
Center.  The  next  was  the  equipping  of  the  gymnas- 
ium. One  side  of  the  assembly  hall  was  to  be  used  for 
a  basket  ball  court;  on  the  other  side  a  horizontal  bar, 
parallel  bars,  horse,  ladder,  flying  and  traveling  rings, 
climbing  ropes  and  poles,  and  mats  for  tumbling  and 
wrestling  were  installed.  In  addition  to  this  equip- 
ment, dumb  bells,  Indian  clubs,  wands  and  boxing 
gloves  were  procured.  It  would  have  been  most 
desirable  to  have  installed  shower  baths  in  connection 
with  the  gymnasium  and  on  the  same  floor.  As  it  was 
impossible  to  do  this,  they  were  installed  in  a  room  on 
the  ground  floor  in  connection  with  the  cloak  room  of 
the  kindergarten,  which  was  to  be  used  as  a  dressing 

267 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

room.  This  completed  the  equipment  for  physical 
exercise.  For  the  recreational  activities,  outside  of 
the  gymnasium,  sixty  chairs,  a  dozen  tables  and  a 
dozen  table  games,  such  as  chess  and  checkers,  were 
procured.  For  the  intellectual  activities  of  the  Center 
a  stereopticon  lantern  was  secured  to  be  used  in  con- 
nection with  lectures,  a  library  of  500  volumes  was 
borrowed  from  Albany,  and  subscriptions  were  taken 
for  a  dozen  periodicals.  For  the  social  activities  a  set 
of  cheap  dishes  was  procured  which  could  be  used  by 
the  various  clubs  in  the  Social  Center  in  serving  the 
refreshments  which  these  clubs  might  provide. 

The  second  year,  the  assembly  hall  on  the  top 
floor  was  used  only  for  gymnastic  work  while  the 
lectures  and  entertainments  were  transferred  to 
the  large  kindergarten  room  on  the  ground  floor. 
The  change  necessitated  only  the  purchase  of  a 
few  more  chairs  and  the  removal  of  the  library 
and  magazines  to  a  small  room  adjoining.  Num- 
ber Nine  and  the  West  High  School,  which  were 
fitted  up  as  social  centers  the  second  year,  having 
large  assembly  halls  upon  the  ground  floor,  were 
more  easily  equipped. 

The  staff  placed  in  charge  of  the  Number  Four- 
teen Center, — and  it  was  practically  the  same 
next  year  at  the  two  others, — together  with  their 
monthly  salaries  and  number  of  evenings  on  duty, 
are  shown  in  the  following  table: 

STAFF  AT  NUMBER  FOURTEEN  SOCIAL  CENTER 

Position  Evenings  per  week      Salary 

Director 6*  $45 

Director  of  women's  and  girls'  clubs 3  25 

Director  of  boys'  clubs 3  25 

268 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

Librarian  and  in  charge  of  games  room  . .  5*  $30 

Director  of  men's  "gym"  work 3  25 

Director  of  women's  "gym"  work 2  25 

Pianist  for  women's  "gym"  work 2  15 

Door  and  hall-keeper 6*  20 

Night  janitor 6*  50 

*  Sunday  afternoon  also. 

For  reasons  of  economy  and  because  of  the 
difficulty  of  securing  the  right  man,  the  super- 
visor acted  as  director  at  Number  Fourteen  and 
also  at  West  High,  while  the  directorship  at 
Number  Nine  was  filled  by  a  member  of  the  faculty 
of  the  University  of  Rochester  who  had  had  suc- 
cessful experience  in  connection  with  a  "  Boys' 
Evening  Home"  and  with  other  social  work. 
The  directors  of  the  boys'  and  girls'  clubs  which 
were  organized  in  schools  other  than  the  three 
which  were  equipped  as  complete  social  centers 
were  paid  at  the  rate  of  $10  per  month  for  giving 
one  night  a  week.  At  the  beginning  the  speakers 
at  the  "general  evenings"  were  selected  by  the 
supervisor,  acting  so  far  as  possible  in  accord  with 
the  wishes  of  the  community,  but  later  the  making 
of  the  programs  was  assumed  by  the  civic  clubs 
at  each  center.  The  fee  usually  paid  these 
speakers  is  $10  and  traveling  expenses,  although, 
during  1909,  more  than  half  of  them  gave  their 
services. 

The  cost  of  equipping  and  maintaining  the 
Number  Fourteen  Social  Center  during  its  first 
session  of  six  months  was  $3,368.23.  The  total 

269 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

attendance  during  the  period,  in  the  library, 
gymnasium,  baths  and  club  rooms,  was  25,022 
so  that  the  cost  per  person  per  "good  time"  was  a 
trifle  over  1 3  cents.  The  second  season  the  expense 
of  equipping  two  new  centers  and  the  provision 
of  directors  for  young  people's  clubs  outside  of 
the  three  centers  brought  the  total  expenditure 
up  to  $8,794.95,  but  the  increased  attendance  left 
the  per  capita  cost  about  the  same,  while  the 
third  year,  during  which  no  equipment  was  pur- 
chased, it  sank  to  about  nine  cents. 

ORIGIN  OF  THE  MOVEMENT 
For  a  number  of  years  various  Rochester  or- 
ganizations, inspired  by  the  usefulness  of  parent- 
teachers'  associations,  had  talked  about  the  de- 
sirability of  a  common  meeting  place  for  the  dis- 
cussion of  public  questions.  In  February,  1907, 
delegates  from  eleven  of  these  bodies — the  Central 
Trades  and  Labor  Council,  the  Children's  Play- 
ground League,  the  College  Women's  Club,  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  the  Hu- 
mane Society,  the  Labor  Lyceum,  the  Local  Coun- 
cil of  Women,  the  Officers'  Association  of  Mothers' 
Clubs,  the  Political  Equality  Club,  the  Social 
Settlement  Association  and  the  Women's  Educa- 
tional and  Industrial  Union — met  and  formed  a 
"School  Extension  Committee."  After  securing 
the  consent  of  the  Board  of  Education  to  admin- 
ister any  funds  which  might  be  appropriated  for 
their  purposes  the  members  of  the  committee 

270 


SOCIAL    CENTERS 

visited  the  mayor,  the  comptroller,  the  city  en- 
gineer and  other  municipal  officials  and  succeeded 
in  getting  inserted  in  the  budget  an  item  of  $5,000 
for  an  experiment  in  school  extension. 

After  deliberation  it  was  decided  to  devote  the 
fund  to  the  support  of  two  playgrounds,  a  vaca- 
tion school,  outdoor  school  athletics  and  the  utili- 
zation of  school  buildings  for  social  ends.  The 
first  step  taken  by  the  Board  of  Education  in  the 
execution  of  its  trust  was  the  selection  of  Edward 
J.  Ward  as  organizer  and  supervisor  of  the  new 
work.  A  wrestler,  football  man  and  track  athlete 
at  college,  and  an  experienced  playground  worker, 
Mr.  Ward's  qualifications  for  the  physical  side 
of  the  position  were  unusual  but,  exceptional  as 
they  were,  they  were  surpassed  by  his  equip- 
ment for  its  social  tasks.  His  college  vacations 
had  been  spent  by  preference  either  in  driving  an 
ice  wagon  or  moving  van  or  handling  freight  on 
the  docks  in  New  York  City,  and  his  post-graduate 
course  had  been  a  trip  through  the  principal  in- 
dustrial centers  of  the  country.  With  his  human 
sympathies  thus  broadened  and  energized  he 
entered  the  ministry  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Being  at  that  time  a  bachelor  and  fond  of  com- 
pany he  used  to  invite  the  boys  and  young  men 
to  his  house.  His  genius  for  fellowship  and  ath- 
letic abilities,  reinforced  by  a  wrestling  mat  and 
other  pieces  of  gymnasium  apparatus,  soon  made 
the  manse  so  crowded  evenings  that  he  conceived 
the  idea  of  turning  his  church  edifice  into  a  social 

271 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

center  and  allowing  his  flock  to  go  to  the  other 
clergyman  of  the  town  for  their  preaching.  The 
other  man  declined  to  enter  into  this  novel 
scheme,  but  the  experience  was  fruitful  because 
it  had  shown  Mr.  Ward  that  he  could  pull  people 
into  useful  lives  through  social  methods  more 
effectively  than  he  could  drive  them  into  good 
works  from  the  pulpit. 

After  his  appointment  to  the  Rochester  position 
Mr.  Ward  made  a  careful  study  of  the  Chicago 
park  system  and  also  spent  some  time  at  Hull 
House,  where  Miss  Addams  assisted  the  crystal- 
lization of  his  plans  by  suggesting  that  "acquain- 
tance" should  be  the  keynote  of  the  new  work. 
Then  followed  a  visit  to  New  York  and  an  ex- 
amination of  its  public  lecture  system  and  the 
evening  recreation  centers,  after  which  he  set 
about  the  work  which  has  been  described. 

In  June,  1910,  Mr.  Ward  was  called  to  the 
University  of  Wisconsin  to  undertake  the  or- 
ganization of  social  centers  in  the  cities  and  towns 
of  that  state.  His  duties  in  Rochester  have  been 
handed  over  to  the  assistant  superintendent  of 
schools  who  will  be  assisted  by  the  principals  of 
the  schools  where  the  centers  are  located. 

THE  CENTRAL  IDEA 

This  can  be  best  told  in  Mr.  Ward's  own  words: 
"The  Social  Center  was  not  to  take  the  place  of 
any  existing  institution;  it  was  not  to  be  a  chari- 
table medium  for  the  service  particularly  of  the 

272 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

poor;  it  was  not  to  be  a  new  kind  of  evening  school ; 
it  was  not  to  take  the  place  of  any  church  or  other 
institution  of  moral  uplift;  it  was  not  to  serve 
simply  as  an  'Improvement  Association*  by  which 
the  people  in  one  community  should  seek  only  the 
welfare  of  their  district;  it  was  not  to  be  a  'Civic 
Reform'  organization,  pledged  to  some  change  in 
city  or  state  or  national  administration;  it  was 
just  to  be  the  restoration  to  its  true  place  in  social 
life  of  that  most  American  of  all  institutions,  the 
Public  School  Center,  in  order  that  through  this 
extended  use  of  the  school  building  might  be  de- 
veloped, in  the  midst  of  our  complex  life,  the  com- 
munity interest,  the  neighborly  spirit,  the  de- 
mocracy that  we  knew  before  we  came  to  the 
city."  ' 

The  clear  vision  of  this  ideal  at  the  outset 
and  the  skill  and  tenacity  of  purpose  with 
which  Mr.  Ward  set  about  giving  it  life  are 
illustrated  in  the  way  the  first  schtfol  was 
selected.  The  Board  of  Education  had  definitely 
decided  to  begin  the  experiment  in  a  poor  neigh- 
borhood but  the  new  supervisor  picked  out  a 
location  which  "more  than  any  other  was  inter- 
mediate ground,  half  way  between  the  wealthiest 
residential  district  and  the  tenement  district." 
He  would  not  allow  the  first  center  to  run  the  risk 
of  being  tagged  in  the  public  mind  as  either  "a 
rough-neck  or  a  low-neck  institution"  and  rather 
than  forsake  this  attitude  he  was  ready  to  resign 
his  position. 

.8  273 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Another  phase  of  the  policy  which  has  been 
pursued  in  the  conduct  of  the  centers  appears  in 
an  early  report  which  quotes  Professor  George  M. 
Forbes,  the  president  of  the  Board  of  Education, 
as  follows:  "He  said  that  there  was  one  con- 
sideration which  must  always  be  kept  in  mind; 
that  the  prime  purpose  of  the  school  buildings  was 
for  educational  uses  and  that  nothing  must  be 
done  which  should  interfere  with  their  original 
object.  At  the  same  time,  he  reminded  his  lis- 
teners, the  district  schools  of  the  country  were 
open  for  such  purposes  as  political  discussion  and 
this  usedid  not  interfere  with,  but  rather  increased, 
the  use  of  the  school  house  as  an  educational  in- 
stitution for  the  children.  'This  movement/  said 
he,  'is  in  line  with  the  larger  educational  idea. 
It  would  be  a  logical  addition  to  the  schools  as  a 
means  of  training  in  citizenship/  Having  said 
this,  he  drew  the  line  sharply  on  the  matter  of  ex- 
clusive partisan  uses  of  the  school  building,  saying 
that  the  Board  of  Education  had  refused  the  use 
of  a  school  building  for  exclusive  purposes  in  the 
case  of  a  church  in  the  neighborhood  which  had 
desired  to  use  the  assembly  hall  for  an  entertain- 
ment. '  If  the  people  wish  to  use  the  school 
buildings,  the  Board  of  Education  stands  ready  to 
carry  out  the  wish  of  the  people/  said  he." 

On  a  later  occasion  President  Forbes  stated  his 
views  even  more  pointedly  when  he  said,  "No  one 
has  a  right  to  try  to  regulate  what  citizens  shall 
talk  about  in  their  own  building/'  Free  speech 

274 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

was  safeguarded,  however,  by  the  rule  that  in  the 
case  of  political,  religious  or  other  delicate  ques- 
tions both  sides  should  have  equal  opportunity 
of  presentation.  Thus  the  prohibitionist  who 
spoke  against  the  saloon  was  followed  by  the  vice- 
president  of  the  Turn  Verein  who  gave  the  other 
side.  The  prominent  manufacturer  who  justified 
the  conviction  of  Gompers,  Mitchell  and  Morrison 
was  answered  at  the  next  meeting  by  a  recognized 
labor  leader.  School  children  were  excluded  from 
these  meetings  and  the  policy  of  fair  opportunity 
was  scrupulously  adhered  to,  but  in  the  course  of 
time  the  free  discussions  caused  friction.  The  op- 
position which  had  gradually  developed  was  in- 
tensified by  an  eulogistic  address  upon  Professor 
Francesco  Ferrer  by  a  local  clergyman  who  had 
personally  known  him.  A  prominent  exponent 
of  the  other  side  of  the  Ferrer  controversy  was  in- 
vited to  occupy  the  platform  at  the  next  meeting  in 
the  same  center  but  he  declined  to  speak.  The  vari- 
ous hostile  interests  then  focussed  their  energies 
upon  the  appropriation  for  the  coming  year.  Dele- 
gations for  and  against  the  centers  besieged  the  city 
officials  for  several  weeks  with  the  result  that  the 
item  of  $8,900  which  the  Board  of  Education  had 
put  into  the  budget  for  their  support  was  cut  to 
f  5,000.  At  the  same  time  even  greater  reductions, 
relatively,  were  made  in  the  case  of  the  playground 
and  vacation  school  items.  The  curtailment  of 
the  social  center  funds  would  have  had  the  effect 
of  closing  them  before  the  end  of  the  season  but 

275 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

every  member  of  their  staffs  volunteered  to  work 
the  remainder  of  the  time  without  pay.  Though 
the  situation  was  exceedingly  complicated  and 
feeling  ran  high,  it  was  after  all  the  natural  re- 
action that  might  be  expected  to  follow  an  innova- 
tion so  fundamental  and  searching  in  its  effects. 
While  the  hurricane  was  blowing  there  was  a 
straining  and  twisting,  as  it  were,  throughout  the 
members  of  the  new  plant,  but  after  the  storm  it 
was  found  that  the  principal  result  had  been  to 
make  its  roots  sink  deeper  into  the  affections  of 
the  people. 

SOCIAL  CENTERS  ELSEWHERE  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES 
AND  GREAT  BRITAIN 

In  Philadelphia,  seven  of  the  public  school 
buildings  are  used  for  social  purposes  under  the 
co-operation  of  the  Home  and  School  League, 
several  civic  clubs  and  the  Board  of  Education. 
The  latter  body  grants  the  use  of  its  buildings 
and  work-benches  and  furnishes  heat,  light  and 
janitor  service,  while  the  voluntary  organizations 
collect  funds,  appoint  and  pay  workers,  and  buy 
supplies. 

The  manner  of  utilizing  the  buildings  and 
some  of  the  activities  carried  on  may  be  shown 
best  by  taking  a  typical  case.  The  principal  of 
one  of  the  larger  schools,  assisted  by  some  of  his 
teachers  and  volunteers  from  the  neighborhood, 
kept  "open  house"  once  a  week  during  one  winter 
for  300  or  400  people  of  the  vicinity.  One 

276 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

end  of  the  school  basement  was  given  to  the 
boys  for  basket  ball — different  teams  in  turn — and 
shuffle  board,  while  at  the  other  end  a  physical 
training  teacher  led  the  girls  in  free  gymnastics, 
games  and  folk  dances  to  the  accompaniment 
of  a  twelve-dollar  piano.  On  the  first  floor  the 
desks  were  covered  with  boards  which  made  ex- 
cellent tables  for  raffia,  drawing,  sloyd  whittling, 
checkers,  parchesi  and  krokinole,  the  lads  break- 
ing forth  now  and  then  into  popular  songs  while 
they  worked  and  played.  In  the  halls  of  the 
second  floor  an  extra  teacher  conducted  dancing 
and  drill-work  for  the  girls  who  could  not  be  ac- 
commodated in  the  basement.  A  class  room  on 
this  floor  was  occupied  by  a  group  of  foreigners 
who  studied  English,  sang  American  songs,  and 
imbibed  American  ideas  taught  by  a  man  of  the 
neighborhood  who  was  proficient  in  three  lan- 
guages. A  couple  of  sewing  machines,  loaned  by 
an  enterprising  dealer  with  an  eye  to  advertise- 
ment, enabled  a  number  of  women  and  girls  under 
the  tutoring  of  a  sewing  teacher  and  some  volun- 
tary assistants  to  become  skilled  in  the  use  of  pat- 
terns and  the  fashioning  of  their  own  skirts  and 
shirt  waists.  In  the  south  end  of  the  third  floor 
a  chorus  of  adults  assembled  and  from  8:30  until 
10  o'clock  made  the  rafters  ring  with  plantation 
melodies,  old  love  songs,  and  the  latest  favorites 
of  the  theatre.  At  the  same  time  a  group  of  men 
gathered  in  the  northern  end  to  debate,  chat  over 
current  topics,  or  listen  to  a  lantern  talk  from  a 

277 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

High  School  instructor  or  college  professor  upon 
such  topics  as  "The  Chemistry  of  Daily  Life" 
and  "The  Making  of  Pennsylvania."  At  these 
meetings  the  principal  of  the  school  or  the  presi- 
dent of  the  local  Home  and  School  Association 
presides,  makes  announcements  and  introduces 
the  speaker.  After  the  address  the  occasion  is 
closed  with  the  singing  of  the  school  song. 

Besides  the  activities  mentioned,  the  following 
are  also  carried  on  at  the  various  centers:  kinder- 
gartens, reading  rooms,  story  telling,  stamp  banks, 
choral  classes  for  boys  and  girls,  brass  work, 
wood  carving,  chair  caning,  crocheting,  embroid- 
ery, doll  dressing  and  domestic  science,  the  latter 
being  taught  by  means  of  a  miniature  house  and 
set  of  furnishings.  A  boys'  dramatic  club  has 
given  Julius  Caesar,  and  is  planning  to  present  the 
banquet  scene  from  Macbeth  and  "The  Bowery 
Night  School."  While  the  Italian  women's  classes 
learn  to  sew,  their  daughters  sing  for  them  such 
songs  as  "  Roses, "  "  Santa  Lucia,"  and  "  Addio  Mia 
Bella  Napoli."  In  one  of  the  centers  the  women 
stitched  together  a  rag  carpet  which  was  sold 
and  the  money  put  into  games  and  toys.  The 
educational  work  includes  classes  in  elocution, 
and  instruction  for  those  about  to  be  natur- 
alized, and  moving  pictures  and  stereopticon 
lectures  upon  a  wide  range  of  topics;  "Philadel- 
phia," "Playgrounds,"  "Milk,"  and  "Japan," 
were  on  the  program  of  a  recent  season. 
At  several  of  the  centers  the  "Baby  Alliance" 

278 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

holds  meetings  for  immigrant  mothers  at  which 
physicians  and  nurses  talk  upon  the  "Care  of 
Infants."  Besides  basket  ball  the  games  include 
ring-toss  and  hand  ball  for  the  boys,  and  the  "  May 
Pole"  and  other  folk  dances  for  the  girls.  In  the 
majority  of  the  activities  the  sexes  are  separated, 
although  at  several  of  the  schools  social  dancing 
is  now  being  cautiously  introduced. 

The  direction  of  the  centers  is  in  the  hands  of 
three  grammar  school  principals,  the  wife  of  a 
clergyman  the  members  of  whose  Sunday  School 
class  act  as  her  assistants,  a  trained  nurse  with 
army  experience,  and  two  settlement  workers, 
one  of  whom  knows  individually  each  of  the  600 
people  who  frequent  her  attractive  class  rooms 
and  halls.  The  paid  workers  at  one  of  the  centers 
include  the  superintendent,  two  sloyd  teachers, 
the  singing  master,  the  dancing  instructor  and  her 
accompanist.  Besides  these  the  staff  embraces 
the  principal  of  the  school  and  several  other 
volunteer  workers.  The  paid  assistants  usually 
receive  $2.00  an  evening  and  before  employment 
they  have  to  be  approved  by  the  League's  Com- 
mittee on  Further  Use  of  School  Buildings  and  the 
city  superintendent  of  schools.  At  one  of  the 
centers  the  gymnastic  work  is  in  charge  of  a 
university  man  and  his  wife,  the  latter  taking 
care  of  the  girls  and  the  former  successfully  play- 
ing "big  brother"  to  the  boys.  A  truant  officer 
leads  the  singing  at  another,  while  most  of  the 
centers  enjoy  the  ponderous  presence  of  a  friendly 

279 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

policeman.  Altogether  the  volunteers  form  a 
large  proportion  of  the  workers  and  they  are  drawn 
chiefly  from  the  home  and  school  associations,  the 
women's  clubs,  settlements  and  other  organiza- 
tions affiliated  with  the  League,  whose  member- 
ship embraces  representatives  from  many  of 
Philadelphia's  most  prominent  families. 

Two  of  the  centers  are  open  two  evenings  a 
week,  the  other  five  on  one  evening  only — usually 
Friday — and  their  two-hour  session  ends  at  9:00 
or  9:30  o'clock.  The  one  first  established  is 
located  in  the  "tenderloin"  region  while  the 
others  are  situated  in  Italian,  Polish,  Hungarian 
and  mill  districts.  One  of  the  latter  sections  had 
come  to  be  regarded  as  a  breeding  place  for 
criminals,  but  a  subtle  change  has  come  over  it 
since  the  school  house  doors  have  begun  to  swing 
open  after  sundown  and  words  like  these  have 
floated  out  through  its  lighted  windows: 

There  is  a  pleasant  meeting  place  for  all  the  neighbor- 
hood, 

Where  every  one  is  friendly  and  society  is  good ; 
Where  everything  is  cheery  and  we  always  like  to  come, 
For  in  the  Social  Center  at  the  School  we  feel  at  Home. 

But  the  co-operative  spirit  of  the  centers  is  even 
better  expressed  in  the  chorus  of  this  song  for 
which  "Mr.  Dooley"  has  provided  the  air  and 
the  editor  of  the  Home  and  School  News  the  words : 

We  work  together — We  work  together 
For  Home  and  School  belong  to  me  and  you. 
We  work  together — We  work  together, 
For  Home  and  School  and  Social  Center  too. 
280 


SOCIAL    CENTERS 

In  Milwaukee  the  Board  of  School  Directors 
has  opened  three  of  its  buildings  five  evenings  a 
week  for  basket  ball,  quoits,  tennis,  ring  games, 
dancing,  shoe  mending,  basket  making,  Venetian 
iron  work,  sewing  and  dressmaking.  There  are 
also  gymnasium  classes  for  both  boys  and  girls, 
young  men  and  young  women,  as  well  as  reading 
and  study  rooms,  and  a  number  of  clubs  with 
parliamentary,  civic,  literary,  dramatic  and  social 
activities.  Inspired  by  their  successful  employ- 
ment in  club  work,  a  philanthropist  has  given 
several  combination  billiard  and  pool  tables  which 
are  very  popular  with  the  older  boys — only  those 
over  fifteen  may  use  them — and  young  men. 

In  Pittsburgh,  the  Playground  Association,  as- 
sisted by  a  contribution  of  $500  from  a  local  school 
board,  last  winter  started  social  work  in  two  build- 
ings. One  of  the  school  houses,  opened  six  nights 
a  week  from  7:30  to  9:30  o'clock,  afforded  facilities 
for  physical  and  manual  training,  instruction  in 
cooking  and  sewing,  and  a  series  of  "socials," 
lectures,  concerts  and  club  meetings.  Only  per- 
sons over  fourteen  years  of  age  not  attend- 
ing day  schools  were  admitted,  the  girls  and 
women  coming  two  nights,  the  boys  and  men 
three,  and  both  sexes  assembling  on  the  remaining 
evening.  The  other  building  was  used  on  Wed- 
nesday evenings  only,  when  its  auditorium  was 
the  scene  of  illustrated  lectures  and  musical  and 
literary  entertainments  which  were  free  to  the 
public.  This  work  is  regarded  as  simply  a  be- 

281 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ginning,  it  being  Pittsburgh's  ambition  ultimately 
to  make  every  school  a  "ward  clubhouse." 

Columbus,  Ohio,  affords  another  interesting 
instance  of  co-operation  between  voluntary  or- 
ganizations. Under  the  lead  of  the  School  Ex- 
tension Society,  which  by  means  of  boys'  club 
work  had  already  made  evening  recreation  centers 
out  of  two  schools,  a  combination  was  effected  with 
the  Federation  of  Women's  Clubs,  Young  Ladies' 
Playground  Association,  United  Commercial  Trav- 
elers Women's  Clubs  and  the  College  Women's 
Club.  Representatives  from  these  associations 
formed  a  "Committee  on  Co-operation"  which 
canvassed  the  city  for  funds,  secured  the  endorse- 
ment of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  to  its  appeal 
for  assistance  from  the  Board  of  Education,  and, 
its  efforts  being  successful,  finally  engaged  an  ex- 
perienced director  of  playgrounds  and  indoor 
recreation  work.  In  February,  1910,  three  school 
houses  were  thrown  open  on  three  (in  one  build- 
ing four)  nights  a  week,  from  6:30  to  9:30,  the 
girls  and  women  being  admitted  Monday  even- 
ings, the  men  on  Wednesdays  and  the  boys  on 
Fridays.  The  rules  also  sent  the  small  girls  home 
at  7:30  and  the  older  ones,  who  were  not  admitted 
until  this  hour,  at  8:30  o'clock.  For  boys  there 
were  manual  training  classes,  quoits,  volley  ball, 
basket  ball,  indoor  baseball,  relay  races,  circle 
games,  military  drills,  wrestling  and  some  boxing, 
while  the  girls  were  occupied  with  sewing,  story 
telling,  organized  games  and  folk  dances.  Checkers 

282 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

and  dominoes  were  also  provided  and  a  reading 
room  to  which  both  the  state  and  city  libraries 
loaned  books.  For  the  adults  there  were  a  current 
topics  class  and  a  series  of  lectures  upon  local  civic 
problems  given  by  the  mayor  and  by  college  pro- 
fessors. Both  the  children  and  the  grown  peo- 
ple were  organized  into  clubs.  While  most  of 
the  workers  were  volunteers  some  received  from 
$1.00  to  $2.50  per  night.  The  janitors  were 
paid  |i.oo  an  evening,  though  in  the  case  of  one 
center  in  a  school  where  evening  classes  were  held 
and  the  janitor  consequently  was  paid  by  the 
school  board,  this  expense  was  avoided.  The 
successful  work  that  was  done  strengthened  public 
confidence  in  the  committee  and  in  July,  1910,  it 
saw  the  culmination  of  its  efforts  in  the  creation  of 
a  Department  of  Public  Recreation  in  the  muni- 
cipal government. 

Beginnings  like  that  at  Holyoke,  Massachusetts, 
where  the  boys  and  their  fathers  are  being  at- 
tracted to  the  school  house  evenings  by  indoor 
sports  and  entertaining  talks,  and  that  at  Pueblo, 
Colorado,  where  weekly  lectures  are  given  in 
the  gymnasium  and  the  Italians  and  Jews  hold 
meetings  and  dances,  are  being  made  in  many 
parts  of  the  United  States.  The  Cleveland  public 
lectures,  already  described,  are  called  a  "social 
center  development"  and  the  same  might  be  said 
of  Cincinnati's  choral  and  gymnasium  classes,  and 
of  the  "home  and  school"  meetings  which,  as  in 
Boston  and  many  other  places,  are  followed  by  a 

283 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

"social  hour."  This  past  spring  the  Chicago 
School  Board  sent  a  committee  to  investigate  the 
social  work  in  eastern  cities.  After  its  tour 
it  recommended  (its  report  was  adopted  by  the 
board)  that  suitable  assembly  halls,  equipped 
with  opera  chairs,  be  constructed  on  the  first 
floors  of  all  elementary  and  high  schools,  either 
separate  from  or  in  connection  with  a  gymnasium, 
and,  further,  that  parents'  associations  and  all 
other  organizations  working  for  the  "physical, 
social,  and  moral  uplift"  of  children  and  adults  be 
encouraged  to  use  school  buildings.  It  also  be- 
spoke an  appropriation  of  $10,000  for  the  mainten- 
ance of  social  centers  two  evenings  a  week  to  be 
opened  in  the  fall  of  1910  upon  the  application  of 
principals  and  the  endorsement  of  the  superinten- 
dent of  schools.  In  Boston,  whose  "educational 
centers"  of  some  years  ago  had  certain  social  fea- 
tures which  entitle  the  city  to  a  place  among  the 
pioneers  in  this  field,  plans  for  the  gradual  develop- 
ment of  social  centers  have  been  projected  by  the 
Home  and  School  Association,  along  the  lines  of 
vocation  bureaus,  parent-teacher  and  civic  asso- 
ciations, public  lectures  and  organized  recreation. 
In  the  country  districts  also  there  are  signs  of 
a  promising  movement  for  social  centers.  The 
agricultural  papers  are  beginning  to  stir  up  memo- 
ries of  the  "good  times"  people  used  to  have  in 
the  "little  Red  School  House"  and  here  and  there 
starts  are  being  made  like  that  at  Greece,  New 
York,  where,  touched  by  the  contagion  of  Roch- 

284 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

ester,  a  civic  club  has  been  formed  and  enthus- 
iastic meetings  held  by  the  people  in  the  school 
house.  Such  beginnings  as  these  justify  the  belief 
that  the  vision  of  Professor  I.  P.  Roberts,  for 
thirty  years  dean  of  the  Cornell  College  of  Agri- 
culture, will  someday  be  realized:  "In  my  dreams 
I  see  this  rural  center  housed  in  a  large,  plain, 
attractive  building,  fitted  with  kitchen,  and  as- 
sembly hall  for  public  meetings — social,  recreative, 
educational  and  religious;  a  building  which  will 
furnish  conveniences  for  carrying  on  all  those  ac- 
tivities which  the  country  people  desire  and  need; 
a  place  in  which  any  one  who  has  anything  to  say 
or  do  which  will  improve  any  phase  of  rural  life 
or  which  might  stimulate  to  noble  endeavor,  should 
find  a  rostrum  and  a  welcome;  a  central  meeting 
place,  perhaps  for  two  or  more  districts,  where  agri- 
culture will  be  taught  the  young  and  old,  and 
where  handicrafts  and  domestic  economy  will  be 
taught  alongside  the  three  R's." 

In  many  parts  of  England  school  buildings,  as 
well  as  other  public  halls,  are  used  by  the  Social 
Institutes  Union,  a  voluntary  organization  which 
for  the  past  thirteen  years  has  been  "advocating 
and  carrying  into  effect  a  policy  of  constructive 
temperance  reform,  by  the  promotion  and  en- 
couragement of  Social  and  Educational  Clubs  and 
Institutes."  The  average  rental  charged  for  the 
use  of  school  houses  by  the  London  County  Coun- 
cil and  the  education  authorities  of  the  other 
cities  and  towns  is  ten  shillings  six  pence  a  week, 

285 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  this  includes  the  cost  of  lighting,  heating  and 
caretaking,  though  the  official  organizer  writes, 
"you  will  be  wise  to  give  a  small  honorarium  to 
the  caretaker,  plus  a  small  charge  of  three  pence  a 
dozen  for  moving  chairs,  and  a  fee  for  the  use  of 
piano  if  you  are  unable  to  find  one  of  your  own." 

The  Scottish  Christian  Social  Union  uses  school 
houses  almost  exclusively  and,  although  its  aims 
are  slightly  more  religious,  the  activities  provided 
in  its  institutes  are  practically  the  same  as  those 
found  in  the  English  clubs,  a  picture  of  which  is 
given  in  one  of  their  pamphlets: 

Let  us  now  take  a  glance  at  a  Social  Institute  of 
the  right  sort  in  full  swing  on  a  typical  night.  The 
billiard  table  is  surrounded  by  a  little  cluster,  watching 
the  playing-off  of  some  tie  in  a  tournament  arranged 
by  the  Games  Committee,  or  perhaps  it  is  a  friendly 
match  with  the  members  of  a  neighboring  club.  At  a 
small  table  not  far  off  whist  lovers  are  gathered  together, 
two  silent  groups  of  fours  wholly  engrossed  in  their 
game.  Chessmen  are  not  often  seen,  but  draughts  are 
in  fairly  constant  demand,  though  not,  strange  to  say, 
dominoes.  Ping-pong  is  dead  and  buried,  and  un- 
blessed be  he  that  would  seek  to  revive  that  feeble- 
fretful  shade;  ring  quoits  and  Whiteley  exercisers  find 
constant  devotees  at  the  other  end  of  the  hall.  Half  a 
dozen  men  sit  at  the  reading  table,  perusing  to-night's 
papers  (no  stale  literature,  if  you  please !)  and  the  best 
illustrated  magazines.  It  is  clearly  a  library  night,  for 
at  the  cupboard  door  the  Committee-Member-in-charge 
stands  at  the  receipt  of  custom  with  a  keen  eye  for  fines, 
giving  and  receiving  books  from  the  small  library  that 
has  been  formed  by  the  exertion  of  the  members  them- 
selves. A  member  of  the  Refreshment  Committee  is  in 
charge  of  another  table  loaded  with  slabs  of  cake,  tins 
of  biscuits,  and  glass  topped  cases  containing  tobacco, 

286 


SOCIAL   CENTERS 

cigars,  and  cigarettes  of  carefully  chosen  brands — the 
license  costs  only  55.  3d.,  and  pays  for  itself  many  times 
over  in  profits  within  the  year;  a  big  kettle  sings  on 
the  fire,  and  not  a  few  members  come  in  straight  from 
their  work,  knowing  that  a  cup  of  tea  or  good  coffee 
will  always  be  at  hand,  a  welcome  alternative  to  the 
dreary  surroundings  of  the  cookshop.  In  a  side  room, 
after  a  meeting  of  the  Institute  Loan  and  Benefit  Club, 
the  Pipe  Parliament  is  in  session  on  a  question  of  vital 
interest  to  all  thinking  men,  wearers  of  broadcloth  and 
corduroys  alike— "The  Housing  of  the  Working  Classes 
in  our  Great  Cities."  The  debate  has  been  opened  in  a 
ten  minutes'  speech  by  a  young  University  man  and 
his  hearers  have  been  airing  their  views,  not  untemp- 
ered  by  the  symposium  in  last  week's  "Daily  Mail,"  in 
speeches  strictly  limited  to  two  minutes  each.  At 
half  past  nine  tne  chairman  will  sum  up  in  a  five  min- 
utes' speech,  and  the  meeting  will  then  disperse.  The 
cricket  club  belonging  to  the  Institute  will  hold  a  meet- 
ing in  this  room  a  little  later  to  decide  on  the  making  up 
of  a  team  for  next  Saturday's  important  match,  a 
matter  of  as  much  moment  to  them  as  any  possible 
Housing  Problem!  On  alternate  Saturday  nights  the 
floor  is  prepared  and  the  hall  decorated  for  a  Family 
Social  Party,  a  red  letter  event  for  many  sisters,  cousins 
and  aunts,  and  other  friends  and  relations  of  both  sexes 
(admittance  is  by  programme  only,  for  which  members 
pay  id.,  their  friends  3d.).  Songs,  games,  recitations, 
and  so  forth,  provide  an  evening's  relaxation  of  delight 
and  true  sociability  for  many  who  have  no  inclination 
to  sit  in  stiff  rows  at  the  more  formal  concert,  and  still 
less  desire  for  the  questionable  enjoyments  of  the  sec- 
ond-class suburban  "Empire." 

Concerning  the  educational  features  the  writer 
goes  on  to  say: 

You  must  recognize  of  course  the  fact  that  many  of 
your  members  regard  the  club  merely  as  a  resort  for 
games,  a  little  casual  reading,  and  a  quiet  pipe,  and  you 
will  not  quarrel  with  them  for  that.  If  tney  were  not 

287 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

with  you  they  would  be  paying  "wet  rent"  to  the  publi- 
cans for  similar  accommodation.  But  there  are  always 
others  ready,  nay  anxious,  for  mental  improvement. 
The  Pipe  Parliament  supplies  the  needs  of  some  of 
these  men;  for  others,  more  directly  educational  op- 
portunities must  be  devised.  If  your  Institute  occu- 
pies school  premises,  say  under  the  County  or  District 
Council,  the  authorities  will  in  most  cases  provide  a 
teacher,  or,  if  you  so  desire,  will  adopt  a  teacher  of  your 
own  nomination  in  any  subject  within  their  curriculum 
for  a  special  ''Institute"  class  of  not  less  than  fifteen 
members.  London  County  Council  classes  in  such 
subjects  as  Choral  Singing,  Physical  Exercises,  Short- 
hand and  Workshop  Arithmetic  have  thus  been  formed 
and  have  met  with  genuine  and  sustained  success  in 
clubs  founded  by  the  Social  Institutes  Union. 

But,  as  the  general  secretary  writes,  "Here  in 
our  Clubs  we  recreate  first  and  educate  after- 
wards and  we  find  our  success  greater  for  this 
very  reason." 

REFERENCES 

BAKER,   RAY  STANNARD:   "Do  It  For  Rochester."     The  American 

Magazine,  September,  IQIO. 
DEWEY,  JOHN:  The  School  as  a  Social  Center.     Proceedings  of  the 

National  Education  Association,  1902,  page  373. 
DUTTON  AND  SNEDDEN:  Administration  of  Public  Education  in  the 

United    States.     Page    590.     The    Macmillan    Company,   New 

York,  1908. 
HALL,  G.  STANLEY:  Some  Social  Aspects  of  Education.    Educational 

Review,  Vol.  23,  page  433. 
PAULDING,  J.  K.:  The  Public  School  asaCentre  of  Community  Life. 

Educational  Review,  Vol.  15,  page  147. 
SCUDDER,  H.  E.:    The  Schoolhouse  as  a  Centre.    Atlantic  Monthly, 

Vol.  77,  page  103. 
WARD,   EDWARD   J.:     Rochester  Social    Centers    and  Civic  Clubs. 

Story  of  the   First   Two  Years.     Published  by  the  League  of 

Civic  Clubs,  Rochester,  New  York,  1909. 

See  also  the  reports  and  publications  of  the  Philadelphia  Home 
and  School  League;  the  Boston  Home  and  School  Association; 
the  Social  Institutes'  Union,  4  Portugal  Street,  Kingsway,  London, 
W.  C.;  and  the  Scottish  Christian  Social  Union,  102  Bath  Street, 
Glasgow. 

288 


ORGANIZED    ATHLETICS,   GAMES   AND 
FOLK  DANCING 


CHAPTER  X 

ORGANIZED    ATHLETICS,   GAMES 
AND    FOLK    DANCING 

PEDESTRIANS  in  a  certain  street  of  the 
Bronx  district  were  momentarily  halted 
one  afternoon  by  the  sight  of  three  small 
boys  who  shot  from  the  gate  of  a  public  school 
and  darted  across  the  road  as  if  a  policeman  were 
after  them.  As  the  boy  in  front  was  smaller 
than  the  other  two,  by  whom  he  was  being  chased, 
the  pursuit  was  quickly  ended,  the  two  bigger 
boys  seizing  the  little  fellow  before  he  had  gone 
far.  Each  took  an  arm  and,  wheeling  him  about, 
they  marched  him  back  with  a  decisiveness 
that  showed  confidence  in  their  authority  and 
ability  to  act  upon  it.  The  prisoner  to  the  sur- 
prise of  the  bystanders  showed  little  resentment 
and  actually  smiled  in  a  shame-faced  way  as  he 
was  being  dragged  through  the  gateway,  now 
crowded  with  shouting  boys  who  surrounded  the 
trio  like  a  body-guard  as  it  marched  down  the 
yard. 

The  yard  was  not  large;  it  had  a  concrete  floor 
and  was  surrounded  by  buildings  and  a  high  brick 
wall.  Here  and  there  were  distinct  groups  of  a 
dozen  or  so  boys  lined  up  around  gymnasium 

291 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

mats,  and  it  was  to  the  central  one  of  these  knots 
that  the  runaway  was  now  brought  by  his  captors. 
The  circle  opened.     Coat  and  hat  were  stripped 
from  the  victim;  he  was  placed  on  a  chalk-line 
drawn  across  the  mat  and  told  to  jump.     The 
place  where  he  landed  was  marked  with  a  crayon 
and  he  was  made  to  try  again,  and  then  once 
more,  each  time  jumping  a  little  farther.     After 
three  trials  he  was  told  to  take  a  place  in  the  line 
and  watch  the  others  practice.     One  boy  of  ath- 
letic build  and  forceful  manner  acted  as  leader, 
instructing  each  one  as  he  stepped  on  the  chalk- 
line  when  to  spring,  how  to  swing  the  arms  and 
pull  up  the  knees,  how  to  take  care  in  landing  not 
to  touch  the  mat  at  any  place  back  of  the  imprint 
made  by  the  heels.     The  surprising  thing  was 
that  while  a  good  jump  always  aroused  enthusiasm 
there  was  a  constant  interest  in  the  efforts  of  the 
puny,  undersized   fellows  who  received,  indeed, 
the   lion's   share   of    attention    from    the   more 
expert  ones  and  who  were  kept  more  rigorously  at 
practice.     One  of  the  teachers  came  out  to  help 
coach  the  jumpers.     He  handed  his  coat  to  one 
pupil,  his  hat  and  eye  glasses  to  another,  and 
demonstrated  with  his  own  lanky  body  the  best 
method  of  projecting  it  through  space.     Finally  a 
smallish  lad  with  wizened  features  jumped  and 
when   his   mates   saw   his   mark   they   groaned. 
"My  boy,  do  you  smoke  cigarettes?"   the  teacher 
asked,  laying  his  hand  on  the  jumper's  shoulder. 
The  boy  hung  his  head. 

292 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

These  boys  were  getting  ready  for  a  competition 
in  which  it  was  the  jump  of  the  whole  class  that 
counted.  At  the  final  tests  the  distances  reached 
by  all  the  members  of  that  class  would  be  added 
together  and  the  sum  divided  by  the  number  of 
jumpers.  The  quotient  would  constitute  the 
mark  of  the  class.  The  group  was  composed  of 
sixth  grade  pupils  while  the  three  other  knots  of 
jumpers  scattered  about  the  yard  belonged  to  the 
fifth,  seventh  and  eighth  grades.  Each  class 
competed  only  with  the  other  classes  of  the  same 
grade  in  the  borough,  and  after  the  records  were 
all  in,  a  trophy  was  awarded  to  the  class  which  had 
made  the  highest  average  distance.  Last  year 
this  school  had  won  the  trophies  which  had  been 
offered  in  all  four  grades. 

In  the  winter  time  a  similar  competition  was  held 
in  "chinning/'  and  in  a  large  ground-floor  room 
which  served  as  a  gymnasium  a  long  ladder  was 
inclined  against  the  wall  in  a  way  that  made  it 
possible  for  boys  of  all  sizes  and  several  at  a  time 
to  practice  the  "pull-up."  A  principal  in  another 
school  had  put  up  horizontal  bars  in  the  doorway 
of  his  class  room  where  the  boys  "chinned  them- 
selves" during  the  period  assigned  to  physical' 
training  as  well  as  at  recess  time  and  after  school. 
Trophies  were  awarded  the  classes  showing  the 
best  averages  for  their  respective  grades  in  this 
competition  and  likewise  in  the  class  running  con-  7- 
tests  which  are  held  in  the  spring.  In  all  three 
events  every  boy  in  the  class  has  to  participate, 

293 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

so  the  poorer  athletes  receive  constant  coaching 
from  the  morje  experjjboys . 

The  principal's  office  in  this  Bronx  school  con- 
tained many  trophies.  They  were  beautiful 
shields  with  bronze  plates  upon  which  were  en- 
graved the  names  of  the  classes  that  had  won  them 
from  time  to  time.  The  records  of  the  classes  in 
the  standing  broad  jump  were  also  given.  The 
average  jump  of  the  fifth  grade  boys  was  a  trifle 
over  six  and  one-half  feet;  the  sixth  year  lads  had 
reached  full  seven  feet,  the  next  grade  two  inches 
farther  and  the  eighth  graders  seven  feet  seven 
and  six-tenths  inches.  These  were  the  best 
records  yet  made  in  the  five  boroughs  of  Greater 
New  York.  On  the  wall  neatly  framed  were 
several  certificates  announcing  the  award  in 
former  years  of  trophies  which  had  now  passed  on 
to  other  schools,  while  a  bronze  bas-relief  and  a 
couple  of  silver  cups  on  a  cabinet  in  a  conspicuous 
corner  testified  to  other  victories  on  track  and 
field. 

THE    PUBLIC  SCHOOLS    ATHLETIC    LEAGUE     OF    NEW 
YORK   CITY 

In  1903,  Mr.  James  E.  Sullivan,  Dr.  Luther 
Halsey  Gulick,  then  Director  of  Physical  Training 
in  the  New  York  public  schools,  and  Superinten- 
dent William  H.  Maxwell,  got  together  and  de- 
vised a  plan  for  providing  school  boys  with  ath- 
letics. After  presenting  the  scheme  to  a  number  of 
prominent  business  men,  who  immediately  gave  it 

294 


ATHLETICS,   GAMES   AND    FOLK   DANCING 

their  support,  it  was  outlined  at  a  meeting  of  the 
principals.  To  demonstrate  its  entire  feasibility 
and  give  impetus  to  the  movement  a  track  and 
field  meet  at  which  1 500  boys  ran  races,  jumped, 
put  the  shot  and  performed  other  feats  of  strength 
and  agility  was  held  in  Madison  Square  Garden. 
Indoor  sports  upon  such  a  vast  scale  had  never 
been  seen.  The  newspapers  gave  the  event  wide 
publicity,  while  the  occasion  itself  not  only 
generated  enthusiasm  among  pupils,  parents  and 
school  officials,  but  won  the  sympathies  of  in- 
fluential men  and  women  and  gained  support  for 
the  cause.  In  December  of  the  same  year  the 
Public  Schools  Athletic  League  was  incorporated, 
application  for  the  charter  being  made  by  seven- 
teen citizens  whose  number  included  the  City 
Superintendent  of  Schools  and  persons  prom- 
inent in  military,  ecclesiastical,  financial,  athletic 
and  educational  circles.  Mr.  Roosevelt,  then 
President,  not  only  praised  the  new  venture  in 
an  open  letter,  but  became  the  honorary  vice- 
president.  Under  such  circumstances  was  the 
League  launched. 

Its  specific  objects,  as  set  forth  in  the  by-laws, 
are  "to  promote  useful  athletics  and  gymnastics 
among  the  attendants  in  the  elementary,  high 
and  collegiate  departments  of  public  educational 
institutions  of  the  City  of  New  York,  and  in  con- 
nection therewith  to  co-operate  with  and  support 
athletic  associations,  provide  athletic  grounds  and 
teachers,  organize  games,  offer  prizes  and  conduct 

295 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

competitions."  The  funds  it  disburses  for  tro- 
phies, medals,  clerk  hire,  printing,  advertising  and 
the  expenses  of  running  games  are  derived  mainly 
from  voluntary  contributions  and  membership 
dues  which  are  |io  per  year  for  annual  members; 
$50  paid  in  one  sum  secures  life  membership, 
while  a  person  paying  $100  becomes  a  patron. 
At  present  (1910)  the  membership  is  large  enough 
to  make  possible  an  annual  expenditure  of  over 
$10,000.  In  the  accomplishment  of  its  purposes 
the  League  carries  on  the  following  activities,  one 
of  which,  class  athletics,  has  been  partially  de- 
scribed in  the  introduction  to  this  chapter. 

ATHLETIC  BADGE  COMPETITION 
With  a  view  to  encouraging  an  all-round  phy- 
sical development  on  the  part  of  the  greatest 
possible  number  of  boys,  distinctive  badges  were 
offered  to  all  who  should  perform  the  following 
feats: 

Class  A — Bronze  Badge 

60  yards  dash 8|  seconds 

Pull  up  (chinning  on  bar) 4  times 

Standing  broad  jump 5  feet  9  inches 

Class  B — Bronze  Silver  Badge 

60  yards  dash,  indoors 8  seconds 

or,  100  yards  dash,  outdoors. ...  14  seconds 

Pull  up  (chinning) 6  times 

Standing  broad  jump 6  feet  6  inches 

High  School  Boys — Silver  Badge 

200  yard  run 28  seconds 

Pull  up  (chinning  on  bar) 9  times 

Running  high  jump 4  feet  4  inches 

296 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

According  to  the  rules  "no  boy  shall  be  admitted 
to  any  contest  who  has  not  received  a  mark  of  at 
least  'B'  for  the  month  previous  in  effort,  profi- 
ciency and  deportment,  the  principal  of  the  school 
to  be  sole  judge  in  this  matter/'  and  a  further  re- 
striction requires  that  all  competitors  must  show 
signs  of  making  an  effort  "  to  secure  good  posture/' 
The  badge,  which  is  a  button  shaped  like  an  oblong 
shield  with  a  winged  classical  figure  and  a  mono- 
gram of  P.  S.  A.  L.  in  bas-relief,  can  be  won  only 
by  qualifying  in  all  three  tests. 

In  1904-05  when  the  trials  were  first  held  1 162 
boys,  about  2  per  cent  of  those  who  entered,  won 
badges.  Each  succeeding  year  the  number  of 
successful  competitors  increased  until  in  1908-09, 
7049  badges  were  awarded.  These  trials  were 
held  in  1 15  elementary  schools  containing  a  total 
of  47,540  boys  in  their  grammar  grades,  in 
which  the  competition  is  general.  In  thirteen 
high  schools  1 130  youths  competed  and  308  quali- 
fied for  the  solid  silver  buttons.  The  Winthrop 
trophy,  a  bas-relief  representing  "The  Soldier  of 
Marathon/'  which  was  donated  by  the  president 
of  the  Board  of  Education  to  be  awarded  annually 
to  the  school  having  the  largest  proportion  of  its 
eligible  pupils  (boys  from  fifth  grade  up)  among  the 
winners  of  the  badge,  was  won  by  a  school  in 
which  59  per  cent  of  the  enrolled  boys  were  suc- 
cessful. In  several  other  schools  from  40  to  50 
per  cent  won  the  coveted  buttons. 

In  five  years  16,428  lads  have  won  the  athletic 
297 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

badge,  but  they  form  only  a  small  fraction  of  the 
number  who  have  been  benefited  through  com- 
peting for  it.  Standing  both  for  all-round  ath- 
letic ability  and  scholarship  these  neat  bronze 
buttons  are  highly  prized  by  their  owners,  who 
frequently  wear  them  in  their  lapels  for  years  after 
leaving  school. 

CLASS  ATHLETICS 

This  activity  involves  an  even  wider  participa- 
tion in  physical  exercise  by  school  boys,  since  in 
order  to  have  a  record  stand  at  least  80  per  cent  of 
those  enrolled  in  the  class  must  take  part  in  the 
competitions,  and  no  group  of  less  than  eight 
members  is  counted.  Insistence  upon  participa- 
tion by  the  entire  class  would  have  been  preferable, 
but  it  was  found  impracticable  on  account  of 
absences  due  to  sickness  and  other  unavoidable 
causes,  and  80  per  cent  was  the  largest  proportion 
considered  feasible  to  require. 

The  events  in  which  classes  are  allowed  to  make 
records  and  the  seasons  when  they  are  tested  are 
as  follows : 

Standing  broad  jump Fall 

Pull  up  or  chinning Winter 

Running Spring 

The  various  distances  run  by  the  four  grades 
allowed  to  enter  these  contests  are: 

Fifth  Grade 40  yards 

Sixth  Grade 50  yards 

298 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

Seventh  Grade 60  yards 

Eighth  Grade 80  yards 

In  each  event  the  record  for  the  class,  as  has 
been  stated  above,  is  the  average  of  those  made  by 
its  members.  The  distances  to  be  covered  and 
the  duration  of  the  tests,  to  avoid  the  risk  of  any 
overstrain,  are  carefully  adjusted  to  the  physical 
strength  of  the  different  groups.  In  timing  the 
running  contests  the  method  adopted  to  lessen  the 
possibility  of  error  is  thus  described  in  the  League 
rules:  "The  boys  are  lined  up  behind  the  starting- 
mark  in  the  order  in  which  they  are  to  run;  the 
timer,  who  also  acts  as  starter,  stands  at  the 
finish  line  and  gives  the  signal  for  each  boy  to 
start.  As  the  first  runner  crosses  the  finish  line 
the  second  runner  is  given  the  signal  to  start.  As 
the  last  boy  crosses  the  finish  line  the  watch  is 
stopped.  The  record  is  found  by  dividing  the 
time  elapsed  by  the  number  of  boys  competing. 
If  an  ordinary  watch  is  used  the  first  boy  should 
be  started  when  the  second  hand  is  over  the  '60' 
mark." 

The  broad  jump  and  the  pulling-up  tests  are 
usually  held  in  school  yards  and  gymnasiums, 
while  for  the  dashes^armories,  athletic  fields  and 
sometimes  streets  are  used.  After  the  president 
of  the  League  explained  its  work  to  the  chief  of 
police  an  order  was  issued  to  patrolmen  not  to 
interfere  with  boys  who  were  practicing  running 
in  the  streets  under  the  oversight  of  their  own 
teachers. 

299 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

When  chinning  as  a  test  was  first  introduced 
there  were  some  schools  where  only  a  small  part 
of  the  boys  could  pull  themselves  up  even  once, 
but  during  the  winter  of  1909  the  average  for  the 
fifth  grade,  which  made  the  poorest  record  among 
the  five  borough  winners,  was  7.6  times,  while  the 
city  champions  of  the  same  grade  averaged  1 1 .2 
times.  A  total  of  31,711  boys  competed  in  the 
standing  broad  jump,  14,488  in  the  chinning,  and 
7057  in  the  running,  the  latter  number  being 
small  on  account  of  the  unpropitious  weather 
which  prevailed  during  the  spring. 

The  trophies  awarded  in  each  borough  to  the 
winning  classes  in  the  several  grades  are  contested 
for  each  year  but  the  holders  are  also  given  an 
engraved  certificate  which  is  their  permanent 
property. 

These  two  activities  are  the  peculiar  achieve- 
ments of  the  League.  The  early  competitive 
sports  are  pyramidal  in  effect,  rising  to  an  apex 
of  a  few  experts  who  are  brought  into  view 
through  hewing-down  contests,  but  the  badge  test 
and  the  class  athletics  spread  as  they  progress. 
Competing  against  a  standard  instead  of  an  indi- 
vidual gives  everybody  an  opportunity  to  try  and 
a  boy  is  not  obliged  to  defeat  another  boy  in 
order  to  win. 

Thus  they  develop  the  spirit  of  co-operation  and 
lay  the  foundations  of  a  greater  social  cohesiveness 
later  on. 


300 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK   DANCING 

CHAMPIONSHIP  MEETINGS 

The  League  believes,  however,  that  despite  their 
disadvantages  the  older  types  of  games  have  their 
uses.  Experts  are  needed  to  stimulate  the  masses, 
while  champions  create  and  focus  school  spirit. 
Intensive  activities  naturally  complement  those 
that  are  extensive  and  in  accordance  with  this 
policy  the  following  games  and  sports  are  annually 
organized  and  promoted  by  the  League  officials: 

IN    ELEMENTARY   SCHOOLS 

(1)  Baseball  (5)  Indoor  championship  games 

(2)  Basket  ball  (6)  Outdoor  championship  games 

(3)  Soccer  football  (7)  Outdoor  novice  games 

(4)  Swimming  (o)  Sunday  World  championship 

games 

Except  the  Sunday  World  games,  all  of  the 
above  sports  are  found  also  in  the  high  schools 
and,  in  addition,  they  have  the  cross  country 
run,  marksmanship  competitions,  relay  races,  and 
tennis. 

At  these  meets  the  regular  events  in  track  and 
field  sports  are  held,  although  hammer  throwing 
has  been  omitted  on  account  of  the  danger  it 
involves.  For  the  purpose  of  bringing  together 
in  competition  only  those  who  are  of  the  same 
general  physical  ability  the  boys  are  classified  by 
weight  and  allowed  to  enter  only  such  events  as 
are  fixed  for  their  respective  weights.  The  various 
weight  classes  for  elementary  pupils  recognized 

301 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

by  the  League  and  the  corresponding  events  in 
one  of  the  games  series  are  shown  in  the  following 
table: 

ELEMENTARY    SCHOOLS    INDOOR   CHAMPIONSHIP    EVENTS 

So-pound  Class 
50-yard  dash 
Running  high  jump 
Standing  broad  jump 
360  yards  relay  race 

95-pound  Class 
6o-yard  dash 
Running  high  jump 
Standing  broad  jump 
440  yards  relay  race 

1 1  ^-pound  Class 
7O-yard  dash 
8-pound  shot  put 
Standing  broad  jump 
440  yards  relay  race 

Unlimited  IV eight  Class 
loo-yard  dash 
12-pound  shot  put 
Running  high  jump 
880  yards  relay  race 

To  guard  against  any  unfairness  the  competitors 
in  the  track  and  field  meets  are  weighed  in  their 
athletic  costumes  on  the  grounds  at  the  time  the 
sports  are  held.  The  scales  are  set  up  in  a  narrow 
lane  through  which  the  runners  have  to  pass  to 
enter  the  track.  When  an  8o-pound  race  is  called 
the  beam  is  set  at  that  weight  and  the  contestants 
step  in  turn  upon  the  platform.  If  the  beam  does 
not  come  up  the  boy  goes  on  to  the  track;  if  it 
does,  he  is  diverted  back  into  the  crowd.  To 

302 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

save  time  the  jumpers  are  not  weighed  until 
after  the  contests  and  then  only  those  who  ob- 
tained the  first  five  places  in  the  event  are  asked 
to  step  upon  the  scales.  If  a  boy  proves  to  be 
overweight  he  is  disqualified  and  the  place  among 
the  winners  is  given  to  the  boy  of  proper  weight 
who  has  made  the  next  best  mark.  As  a  further 
illustration  of  the  carefulness  as  to  details  with 
which  the  games  are  organized  it  may  be  mentioned 
that  just  as  soon  as  an  event  is  concluded  and 
the  winners  are  determined  they  are  given  certifi- 
cates which,  presented  at  a  booth  on  the  field, 
enable  them  to  receive  their  medals  at  once  and 
return  to  their  friends  in  the  grandstand  with  the 
insignia  shining  upon  their  proud  little  chests. 

In  the  elementary  games  each  school  is  limited 
to  a  certain  number  of  entries,  and  a  boy  is  al- 
lowed to  enter  only  one  event,  thus  preventing 
over-exertion  and  making  it  possible  for  a  greater 
number  of  individuals  to  take  part.  In  these 
games  also  competitors  must  have  received  in 
their  school  work  a  mark  of  at  least  "  B  "  in  effort, 
proficiency  and  deportment.  No  high  school 
pupil  is  allowed  to  compete  in  the  mile  run  unless 
he  has  reached  the  age  of  sixteen  years  and  six 
months,  nor  represent  his  school  in  any  branch  of 
athletics  after  reaching  twenty-one.  Strict  rules 
regarding  betting,  amateur  standing,  participa- 
tion in  outside  meets,  length  of  attendance  at 
school  represented  and  previous  matriculation  in 
higher  institutions  of  learning  are  laid  down  in 

303 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

the  League's  by-laws  under  "Eligibility,"  and 
these  are  rigidly  enforced. 

Through  the  generosity  of  friends  of  the  League 
eleven  high  schools  have  each  been  provided  with 
two  Krag-Jorgensen  rifles  and  a  sub-target  gun 
machine.  By  means  of  the  latter  boys  can  prac- 
tice shooting  at  a  target  without  any  expense, 
noise  or  risk  to  life,  and  acquire  the  same  skill  as 
if  they  were  using  a  regular  army  rifle.  At  the 
present  time  over  1000  boys  are  practicing  at  these 
ranges  and  nearly  a  dozen  team  matches  are  held 
each  year.  Although  the  competitions  in  marks- 
manship have  been  carried  on  but  a  few  years,  ac- 
cording to  the  League's  1909  Year  Book,  "were 
the  country  to  requisition  the  services  of  the  high 
school  boys  we  could  provide  more  than  a  regi- 
ment trained  in  the  use  of  the  rifle,  with  three 
companies  prepared  for  service  as  marksmen,  and 
a  company  of  sharpshooters." 

The  skill  being  acquired  at  the  school  ranges  is 
well  described  by  General  Wingate  in  a  recent 
report:  "In  the  tournament  which  took  place 
under  the  auspices  of  the  National  Rifle  Associa- 
tion at  the  Sportsmen's  Show  in  February  and 
March,  1909,  at  which  a  number  of  prizes  were 
offered  by  different  arms  companies  and  others 
interested  in  the  subject,  over  1000  boys  parti- 
cipated— more,  in  fact,  than  the  eight  target 
ranges  and  the  sub-target  gun  machines  that  were 
provided  would  permit.  The  shooting  was  done 
at  60  feet,  bull's  eye,  one  inch,  counting  five; 

304 


A  CLOSE  FINISH  IN  SCHOOL  SPORTS 


TOUCHING  OFF  IN  THE  RELAY 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

center,  3^  inches,  counting  four;  inner,  5J  inches, 
counting  three.  The  shooting  was  fully  equal  to 
anything  which  has  ever  been  seen  in  any  of  the 
National  Guard  competitions.  In  fact,  the  scores 
made  by  many  of  the  competitors  have  never  be- 
fore been  equalled.  Thus,  J.  Ehrlich  of  the  Morris 
High  School,  firing  120  shots  with  a  possible  score 
of  600  points,  half  shot  standing  and  half  prone, 
made  598,  only  missing  the  bull's  eye  twice;  and 
the  team  of  the  Morris  High  School,  firing  10 
shots  each,  standing  and  prone,  made  557  out  of  a 
possible  600." 

But  shooting  is  not  the  only  sport  in  which  the 
school  boys  have  developed  expertness.  In  a 
deciding  game  of  the  baseball  tournament  of  1909 
a  Brooklyn  nine  played  another  from  Manhattan 
in  which  only  two  runs  and  one  error  were  made, 
while  in  the  other  events  new  records  are  made 
every  year. 

While  it  is  true  that  these  games  constitute  a 
process  of  elimination,  that  they  have  in  view 
finally  a  few  individuals  or  a  team  instead  of  a 
school  or  a  class,  nevertheless  their  sweep  at  the 
beginning  of  the  tournament  or  the  champion- 
ship series  is  wide  enough  to  justify  a  consideration 
of  their  extensive  character.  Here  are  a  few 
figures  taken  from  General  George  W.  Wingate's 
presidential  address  for  1909: 


10 


305 


WIDER    USE    OF   THE    SCHOOL    PLANT 

NUMBER    OF     PARTICIPANTS     IN    SEVERAL    ELEMENTARY 
SCHOOL   GAMES 

Indoor  championship,  878  boys  from  73  schools. 
Basket  ball  tournament,  105  teams  (5  boys  in  each) 

from  65  schools. 

Swimming  contests,  336  boys  from  36  schools. 
Outdoor  novice,  nearly  1000  boys. 
Outdoor  championship,  750  boys  from  57  schools. 
Baseball,  106  teams  representing  346  schools. 
Sunday  World  series,  33,460  boys  of  147  schools. 

For  the  purpose  of  enforcing  gentlemanly  be- 
havior while  going  to  and  from  the  games,  pre- 
venting injury  while  traveling  on  the  cars  or  boats, 
and  keeping  order  at  the  meets  a  system  of  school 
police  has  been  adopted.  The  boys  of  each  of  the 
four  upper  grades  elect  six  policemen  to  serve  for 
the  term  and  these  then  choose  lieutenants  and 
captains  who  are  supplied  with  suitable  badges  by 
the  Board  of  Education. 

The  enjoyment  of  the  meets  has  recently 
been  increased  by  the  presence  of  school  bands. 
One  of  the  directors  of  the  League  gave  enough 
instruments  for  two  bands  and  paid  the  services 
of  an  instructor.  Membership  in  these  organiza- 
tions became  so  attractive  they  soon  had  long 
v/aiting  lists. 

The  following,  taken  from  the  official  handbook 
of  the  League,  shows  very  concisely  its  aims  in  the 
promotion  of 


306 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 


ATHLETIC  COURTESY 

The  League  endeavors  to  foster  clean  sport  between 
gentlemen.  The  following  statements  express  the 
spirit  to  be  sought  and  maintained  in  such  sport. 
It  is  the  privilege  and  duty  of  every  committee  and 
person  connected  with  the  League  to  embody  these 
principles  in  his  own  actions  and  to  earnestly  advocate 
them  before  others: 

(1)  The  rules  of  games  are  to  be  regarded  as  mutual 
agreements,  the  spirit  or  letter  of  which  one  should  no 
sooner  try  to  evade  or  break  than  one  would  any  other 
agreement  between  gentlemen.    The  stealing  of  ad- 
vantage in  sport  is  to  be  regarded  in  the  same  way  as 
stealing  of  any  other  kind. 

(2)  Visiting  teams  are  to  be  honored  guests  of  the 
home  team,  and  all  their  mutual  relationships  are  to 
be  governed  by  the  spirit  which  is  understood  to  guide 
in  such  relationships. 

(3)  No  action  is  to  be  taken  nor  course  of  conduct 
pursued   which   would   seem   ungentlemanly   or   dis- 
honorable if  known  to  one's  opponent  or  the  public. 

(4)  No  advantages  are  to  oe  sought  over  others 
except  those  in  which  the  game  is  understood  to  show 
superiority. 

(5)  Officers  and  opponents  are  to  be   regarded  and 
treated  as  honest  in  intention.     When  opponents  are 
evidently  not  gentlemen,  and  officers  manifestly  dis- 
honest or  incompetent,  future  relationships  with  them 
may  be  avoided. 

(6)  Decisions  of  officials  are  to  be  abided  by,  even 
when  they  seem  unfair. 

(7)  Ungentlemanly  or  unfair  means  are  not  to  be 
used  even  when  they  are  used  by  opponents. 

(8)  Good  points  in  others  should  be  appreciated 
and  suitable  recognition  given. 

With   ideals  of  conduct  such   as  these  being 
constantly  demonstrated  in  school  gymnasium, 

307 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

yard  and  athletic  field  it  is  not  strange  that  out- 
croppings  of  ethically  splendid  acts  should  appear 
on  the  surface  of  the  League's  annual  work.  Here 
are  a  couple  of  instances  taken  from  the  1909 
report  of  the  secretary,  Dr.  C.  Ward  Crampton: 
"  P.  S.  6,  Manhattan,  was  declared  the  champion 
of  the  City  of  New  York  on  a  Saturday  night, 
winning  it  by  a  single  point  from  P.  S.  77,  Man- 
hattan. On  Monday  morning  the  coach  of  P.  S.  6, 
Manhattan,  discovered  that  his  one  valued  point 
had  been  obtained  through  the  dishonesty  of  one  of 
his  boys  who  had  run  unfairly  on  the  relay  team. 
He  quickly  made  his  way  to  the  Board  of  Education 
and  laid  his  laurels  at  the  feet  of  the  Public  Schools 
Athletic  League,  regretfully,  but  he  could  not 
hold  his  magnificent  prize  unfairly."  Concerning 
the  effect  upon  scholarship,  this  incident  may  also 
be  quoted:  "Many  a  big,  vigorous  boy  out  of 
sympathy  with  his  school  work  is  driven  to  his 
lessons  by  his  mates  so  that  he  can  become 
eligible  to  represent  his  school.  The  school  paper 
of  P.  S.  30,  Manhattan,  Mr.  Paul,  principal, 
recently  reached  my  hands.  It  contained  the 
records  of  the  broad  jump.  The  champion  jumper 
of  the  school  was  ineligible  to  compete,  even 
though  his  jump  nearly  equalled  the  record  of  the 
city,  and  the  boy  editor  stated,  'It  is  a  pity  he 
can't  jump  as  well  with  his  lessons/  I  wrote  the 
principal  expressing  the  hope  that  such  a  good 
athlete  might  do  better  in  his  studies,  and  re- 
ceived the  reply  in  a  week  or  so  stating  that  his 

308 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

classmates  had  attended  to  the  matter,  and  the 
boy  had  won  his  way  to  a  high  scholastic  standing." 

ADMINISTRATION 

For  the  purpose  of  distributing  the  infinite 
number  of  tasks  incidental  to  the  conduct  of 
games  upon  such  a  vast  scale,  a  district  athletic 
league  is  organized  for  each  group  of  institutions 
under  a  district  superintendent  of  schools.  The 
specific  functions  of  these  sub-leagues  according 
to  constitutions  prescribed  for  them  by  the  parent 
league  are  as  follows: 

(1)  Take  charge  of  the  competitions  for  and 
distributions  among  the  schools  in  its  district  of 
the    buttons    awarded    by    the    Public    Schools 
Athletic  League. 

(2)  Select  the  competitors  who  are  to  compete 
from   such   schools  in  athletic  meetings  of  such 
League. 

(3)  Supervise  and  promote  athletic  contests  in 
and  among  the  schools  in  such  districts. 

(4)  Assist  in  providing  grounds,  building,  ap- 
paratus and  other  things  required  for  the  promo- 
tion of  athletics  and  physical  training  among  the 
children  attending  such  schools. 

Besides  discharging  these  duties  the  board  of 
directors  also  annually  appoints  a  delegate  who 
acts  with  the  appointees  from  the  other  local 
leagues  on  the  "  Elementary  Schools  Game  Com- 
mittee." This  body  meets  once  a  month  and 
has  charge  of  the  inter-school  sports.  A  similar 

309 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

committee  whose  members  are  teachers  appointed 
for  the  purpose  by  the  principals  of  the  high  schools 
manages  all  of  the  athletic  doings  between  the 
secondary  schools.  Each  of  these  committees 
nominates  a  director  of  the  Public  Schools 
Athletic  League. 

Any  misunderstandings  or  questions  connected 
with  the  conduct  of  games  between  elementary  or 
high  schools  are  treated  by  their  respective  games 
committees,  but  matters  of  amateur  standing, 
athletic  policy  and  other  questions  involving 
general  standards  come  before  a  "Games  Com- 
mittee" consisting  of  three  directors  of  the  Public 
Schools  Athletic  League.  The  present  chairman 
of  this  committee,  Mr.  James  E.  Sullivan,  is  a 
well-known  ex-athlete  and  an  organizer  of  the 
Amateur  Athletic  Union  of  the  United  States;  he 
has  been  an  official  in  nearly  all  the  prominent 
athletic  meets  of  the  past  thirty  years.  The 
members  of  these  committees  perform  valuable 
and  time-consuming  services,  but  they  receive  no 
compensation  beyond  the  satisfaction  of  parti- 
cipating in  an  important  and  successful  work. 

CO-OPERATION  OF  SCHOOL  OFFICIALS 
The  membership  of  the  district  athletic  leagues, 
just  referred  to,  is  regularly  made  up  of  the 
resident  district  superintendent  of  schools,  the 
director  of  physical  training,  two  members  elected 
from  the  local  school  board,  and  two  teachers 
selected  by  the  superintendent.  These  persons, 

310 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES   AND    FOLK   DANCING 

and  such  others  as  they  may  elect  to  assist  them, 
carry  on,  either  directly  or  through  their  officers 
and  committees,  the  athletic  affairs  of  the  district. 
The  referees,  judges,  scorers  and  other  officials  of 
the  various  track  and  field  meets  held  for  the 
elementary  pupils  are  selected  from  among  the 
high  school  instructors,  while  the  games  among  the 
secondary  students  are  officered  by  elementary 
teachers,  thus  facilitating  unbiased  rulings  and 
decisions. 

Concerning  the  assistance  of  the  teachers  Dr. 
Gulick,  who  acted  as  secretary  of  the  parent 
league  during  his  connection  with  the  Board  of 
Education,  once  wrote:  "One  of  the  prominent 
features,  without  which  the  League  could  not 
have  succeeded  at  all,  has  been  the  earnest,  con- 
tinuous and  enthusiastic  support  of  the  principals 
and  teachers.  During  the  past  year  four  hundred 
and  eleven  men  have  contributed  their  services 
toward  helping  their  boys  in  athletics,  during  one 
or  more  hours  per  week  after  school  hours.  In  the 
large  proportion  of  cases  this  has  resulted  in  that 
close  alliance  of  teacher  and  pupil  which  is  difficult 
to  secure  when  the  only  relationship  is  that  main- 
tained during  school  hours.  The  teachers  have 
accompanied  their  boys  to  the  meets,  have  en- 
couraged them,  have  cheered  them  when  victor- 
ious, and  consoled  them  when  defeated.  While 
it  is  true  that  without  the  financial  support  of  the 
business  men  of  the  city  the  League  could  not 
have  been  carried  on  at  all  during  its  early  days,  it 

3" 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

is  equally  true  that  the  support  of  the  teachers  was 
even  rnore  important.  If  these  men  who  have 
volunteered  their  services  had  been  paid  for  their 
time  at  the  same  rate  at  which  they  are  paid  for 
their  other  services,  it  would  have  amounted  to  a 
contribution  several  times  over  that  which  was 
contributed  in  actual  money  by  our  generous- 
minded  citizens." 

While  the  League  is  not  officially  affiliated  with 
the  Board  of  Education  its  work  nevertheless  has 
received  a  very  real  support  from  the  Board- 
Trie  co-operation  of  the  superintendents,  prin- 
cipals and  teachers  mentioned  above  is  recog- 
nized and  approved  by  the  Board.  After  the 
formation  of  the  League  it  created  three  new  posi- 
tions and  filled  them  with  an  inspector  and  two 
assistant  inspectors  of  athletics  to  attend  to  the 
general  organization  of  the  sports,  while  the 
bronze  buttons  awarded  in  the  athletic  badge  test, 
at  first  purchased  with  funds  solicited  by  the 
League,  are  now  provided  by  the  Board.  Re- 
cently it  passed  a  by-law  authorizing  the  payment 
of  teachers  who  referee  at  the  baseball,  basket 
ball  and  soccer  foot  ball  tournaments.  The 
jumping,  chinning  and  running  events  which  con- 
stitute the  athletic  badge  test  and  class  competi- 
tions have  been  incorporated  by  the  Board  of 
Superintendents  in  the  syllabus  of  physical  train- 
ing for  the  four  grammar  grades. 

Through  the  efforts  of  the  president  of  the 
League  the  Board  of  Aldermen  appropriated 

312 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK   DANCING 

$500,000  for  four  athletic  fields  well  distributed 
throughout  the  city  which  are  now  in  use  and 
under  the  control  of  the  Board  of  Education. 
The  officers  of  the  National  Guard  have  also 
given  valuable  assistance  by  granting  the  use  of 
armories  for  tournaments  and  indoor  sports. 

FOLK  DANCING 

One  afternoon  in  the  late  spring  an  exhibition 
of  after-school  play  was  given  in  Public  School 
No.  22,  situated  in  the  lower  part  of  New  York. 
The  street  outside  was  a  seething  mass  of  wagons, 
pushcarts,  men,  women  and  children.  Over  the 
shop  doors  were  Polish,  Magyar,  Slovenian,  Italian 
and  Yiddish  signs.  In  front  of  the  school  was  a 
park  playground  with  the  familiar  swings,  chutes, 
ladders  and  horizontal  bar,  but  the  sun  was  beat- 
ing down  so  fiercely  that  although  classes  had  just 
been  dismissed  few  children  were  playing  in  the 
grounds.  The  school  contains  a  long  room  on  the 
ground  floor  furnished  only  with  a  square  piano 
and  a  couple  of  chairs  placed  at  its  farther  end. 
The  concrete  floor  and  few  windows  with  their 
iron  gratings  made  the  place  seem  cool  and  pleas- 
antly dim  in  contrast  with  the  heat  and  dazzling 
light  of  the  street. 

Everybody  had  gone  home  except  two  teachers 
and  forty  girls  from  the  third,  fourth  and  fifth 
grades  who  now  came  marching  down-stairs  into 
the  room.  Faces  which  but  a  few  minutes  before 
had  been  set  and  stern  with  the  necessity  of  keep- 

3'3 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

ing  order  now  broke  into  smiles,  while  the  childish 
spirits  so  long  repressed  began  to  bubble  up  in 
brightened  eyes  and  overflow  in  laughter  and 
quickened  movements. 

One  teacher  went  to  the  piano  and  the  other 
marshalled  the  children  into  an  alcove  at  the 
farther  end  of  the  room.  Not  a  sound  was  heard 
in  the  whole  vast  building  above.  The  roar  of 
wagons  and  jangle  of  trolley  cars,  softened  and 
filtered  as  it  were  by  walls  and  shutters,  seemed  to 
come  from  a  far-away  city.  There  were  no  lessons 
to  get,  no  errands  to  run,  no  babies  to  mind. 
Tomorrow  was  a  myth;  the  past  never  had  been; 
only  this  blood-bounding  moment  existed.  A 
chord  was  struck  and  then  forty  little  forms,  light 
as  fairies  and  sprightly  as  imps,  came  running 
down  the  long  room.  Quickly  they  took  posi- 
tions in  parallel  ranks  of  five  with  hands  on  hips, 
their  faces  all  turned  in  the  same  direction.  The 
player  struck  up  an  old  Swedish  tune  called  "  Reap 
the  Flax"  and  the  dance  was  on.  All  reach  down 
to  the  left,  as  if  to  seize  the  grain,  and  then  bring 
the  hands  up  to  the  waist  in  the  motion  of  reaping. 
This  movement  is  repeated  several  times,  always 
in  time  with  the  music,  and  then  the  figure  changes. 
During  the  succeeding  measures  the  flax  is  stacked, 
hackled,  corded  and  twisted  into  a  single  thread, 
the  latter  being  represented  by  a  long  line  of  girls 
in  single  file,  each  with  hands  on  the  shoulders  of 
the  one  ahead,  swaying  from  one  side  to  the  other 
as  they  circle  around  the  room.  In  the  conclud- 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

ing  figure  four  of  the  dancers  form  a  square  while 
a  fifth,  with  running  steps,  winds  in  and  out  of 
the  group  illustrating  the  movement  of  the  shuttle 
in  weaving  the  linen.  Thus  these  children  of  the 
crowded  city  taste  the  joys  of  an  old-world  folk 
who  had  loved  their  simple  pursuits  enough  to 
perpetuate  them  in  melodious  symbols  and  festive 
ceremonies. 

But  the  Scandinavians  were  not  the  only  people 
which  contributed  to  the  program.  The  younger 
girls,  known  as  the  Junior  Club,  next  gave  the 
Russian  Dance,  the  dominant  figure  of  which 
graphically  showed  the  peasant  reaching  into  a 
bag  of  seed  at  the  left  side  and  sowing  it  broad- 
cast with  an  outward  sweep  of  the  right  hand. 
The  Tarantella,  danced  by  the  Senior  Club  with 
the  added  accompaniment  of  castanets  and  tam- 
bourines, gave  a  vivid  impression  of  the  vivacity 
and  grace  displayed  by  the  Italians  on  their  native 
sward,  while  the  rapid  whirlings,  rocking  move- 
ments and  brisk  heel  and  toe  exercises  of  the 
athletic  Hungarian  Solo,  stepped  off  by  the  same 
girls,  suggested  scenes  familiar  to  the  country- 
side of  central  Europe.  Likewise  the  May-pole 
Dance,  in  which  both  clubs  wound  bright  streamers 
around  practicable  standards  to  a  merry  tune, 
reflected  some  of  the  color  and  rhythmic  beauty 
of  time-honored  English  outdoor  festivals.  The 
children  threw  themselves  into  the  dances  with 
abandon  and  unflagging  energy.  In  the  glow  of 
such  activity,  wholesome  to  the  body  and  stimu- 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

lating  to  the  imagination,  plain  features,  pallid 
skins  and  ungainly  shapes  were  all  transformed, 
and  for  the  time  the  sordid  and  the  ugly  in  the  lives 
of  these  young  people  gave  way  to  something 
beautiful  and  good. 

Interspersed  with  the  dances  were  a  number  of 
games  which  provided  spirited  but  friendly  com- 
petitions between  the  two  clubs,  each  of  which 
had  twenty  members.  In  the  first  contest  the 
Seniors  were  divided  into  two  teams  of  ten  girls 
each,  which  were  lined  up  in  single  files,  facing 
each  other,  but  separated  by  the  whole  length  of 
the  room.  Parallel  with  them  were  the  two  files 
of  Juniors,  Number  One  of  each  line  being  paired 
with  a  leader  of  the  opposing  club  and  facing  in 
the  same  direction.  "On  your  mark!"  shouted 
one  of  the  teachers.  The  two  leaders  in  the 
western  end  brought  their  toes  up  to  the  starting- 
line.  "Get  ready!"  They  bent  forward  ready 
to  spring.  "Go!"  came  the  signal,  and  two  forms 
darted  down  the  room  towards  the  other  halves 
of  their  respective  teams  where  the  leaders  stood 
awaiting  them.  Swiftly  the  runners  slapped  the 
outstretched  hands  and  then  went  to  one  side  out 
of  the  way.  The  girls  who  had  been  touched  took 
up  the  race,  their  part  being  to  run  and  "touch- 
off"  the  Number  Two's  of  the  lines  at  the  other 
end  of  the  room.  And  so  it  went,  back  and  forth, 
each  runner  trying  to  cover  the  distance  as  quickly 
as  possible  in  the  hope  of  increasing  the  lead  of 
her  side,  or  cutting  down  that  of  her  opponents. 

316 


"  Reaping  the  Flax" — I 


"Reaping  the  Flax" — II 
IN  A  NEW  YORK  SCHOOL  YARD 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

Surprising  as  it  may  seem,  the  Juniors,  averaging 
a  year  less  in  age  than  the  Seniors,  gradually 
gained  and  amidst  the  gleeful  shouts  of  the  mid- 
gets, the  last  girl  on  their  side  ran  the  length  of 
the  room  to  the  finish  line  several  yards  ahead  of 
her  rival.  Thus  ended  the  Shuttle  Relay  Race. 

In  the  next  contest,  all  the  members  of  the  two 
clubs  lined  up  in  single  files  behind  the  starting- 
line.  At  the  other  end  of  the  room,  opposite 
each  line  of  girls,  were  two  white  circles  drawn  side 
by  side  upon  the  hard  floor.  In  one  of  the  circles 
stood  three  Indian  clubs  while  the  other  was 
empty.  At  the  signal,  Number  One  of  each  line 
ran  to  the  set  of  clubs  in  front  of  her  and  with  one 
hand  placed  them  one  by  one  inside  of  the  other 
circle.  That  done  she  ran  back  and  touched-off 
Number  Two,  who  then  dashed  down  the  room 
and  in  like  manner  placed  the  clubs  back  in  the 
other  circle.  A  Senior  girl  was  a  little  hasty  and 
one  of  the  clubs  falling  down  she  had  to  go  back 
and  set  it  up  again.  This  gave  the  Juniors  the 
advantage  and  their  last  girl  changed  the  posi- 
tions of  the  clubs  and  crossed  the  starting-line 
just  as  the  last  of  the  Seniors  reached  the  clubs, 
thus  winning  the  race  for  her  side.  In  the  contest 
which  followed,  likewise  a  relay  race,  each  line  of 
girls  had  to  pass  overhead  a  large  basket  ball  and 
each  member  carry  it  in  turn  the  length  of  the 
room  and  back  again.  The  Seniors  were  success- 
ful this  time  and  also  in  the  Potato  Relay,  which 
involved  taking  three  potatoes,  one  at  a  time,  out 

3'7 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

of  a  waste-basket,  and  placing  them  on  spots  two 
yards  apart.  Number  One  did  this,  and  then  they 
were  picked  up  again  by  Number  Two,  and  so  on 
until  each  girl  had  participated.  All  of  the  games 
played  demanded  equal  physical  effort  and  steadi- 
ness under  exciting  circumstances  from  each  girl, 
and  tended  to  produce  a  wholesome  sense  of 
mutual  dependence.  They  required  no  more  space 
than  is  afforded  by  the  average  school  basement 
or  yard. 

Toward  the  middle  of  the  hour  and  a  half  con- 
sumed by  the  dances  and  games  a  ripple  of  height- 
ened interest  expressed  by  turned  heads  showed 
that  some  one  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
dancers.  It  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Burchenal,  the 
young  woman  who  as  Inspector  of  Athletics  had 
taught  the  teachers  these  folk  dances.  With  her 
sister  she  had  traveled  through  Europe  visiting 
the  festivals  of  the  country-folk,  and  while  she 
had  learned  their  dances  her  companion  had 
jotted  down  the  music.  And  now  these  children 
of  the  transplanted  peasants  were  being  taught  the 
steps  through  which  their  parents  had  shaken  off 
the  stiffness  of  their  limbs  and  found  forgetfulness 
of  life's  hardships. 

At  the  close  of  the  program  Miss  Burchenal 
inquired  if  there  were  any  Hungarian  girls  present 
who  knew  the  Czardash.  The  hands  of  two 
went  up.  In  a  twinkling  she  had  seized  the 
bigger  girl  by  the  waist  and  was  whirling  her  around 
the  room.  Immediately  the  children  scrambled 

318 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK   DANCING 

for  partners  and  with  eyes  on  the  Inspector  they 
began  to  imitate  her  steps.  Falteringly  at  first, 
then  more  surely  and  finally  with  complete  confi- 
dence, couple  after  couple  made  the  movement 
their  own  until  nearly  the  whole  roomful  was  suc- 
cessfully tripping  the  intricate  steps  of  the  Hun- 
garian national  dance. 

GIRLS'   BRANCH    OF  THE    PUBLIC  SCHOOLS   ATHLETIC 
LEAGUE 

The  kind  of  work  done  by  this  organization  has 
been  illustrated  in  the  preceding  account  of  the 
after-hours  dances  and  games  in  an  East  Side  pub- 
lic school.  The  manner  in  which  it  accomplishes 
its  purposes  is  indicated  in  the  following  announce- 
ment taken  from  its  handbook  for  1909-10: 

In  order  to  provide  instruction  in  the  events  sanc- 
tioned for  inter-class  competitions,  the  Girls'  Branch 
offers  a  course  in  dancing  and  athletics,  free  of  expense, 
to  public  school  teachers  who  will  in  return  give  one 
lesson  per  week  after  school  to  athletic  clubs  organized 
in  their  own  schools.  It  will  be  necessary  to  have  at 
least  two  teachers  from  each  of  the  schools  represented 
— one  who  can  play  the  piano  and  one  who  can  demon- 
strate— and  not  more  than  four. 

During  the  past  season  (1909-10)  1 100  teachers, 
representing  178  schools,  attended  the  eleven 
classes  in  folk  dancing  and  athletics  conducted  by 
Miss  Burchenal  and  her  six  assistants  in  the  gym- 
nasiums of  several  high  schools.  The  number  of 
school  girls  instructed  in  turn  by  these  teachers 
was  over  13,000. 

3'9 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

The  competitions  referred  to  take  place  be- 
tween clubs  of  the  same  school  only  and  not  be- 
tween individuals.  To  be  eligible  for  an  inter- 
class  competition  every  girl  must  have  attended 
school  for  one  month  and  have  received  a  mark  of 
at  least  "  B  "  for  the  previous  month  in  proficiency, 
and  "A"  in  effort  and  deportment.  The  events 
include  dancing,  the  games  described  above, 
throwing  the  basket  ball  for  distance,  and  such 
other  tests  as  may  be  sanctioned  by  the  Public 
Schools  Athletic  League.  In  the  high  school 
competitions  team  games  including  basket  ball 
are  also  used.  In  judging  the  dancing  a  score  is 
made  based  upon  (i)  memory,  (2)  form  and 
grace,  and  (3)  spirit,  each  counting  ten  points. 
Every  meet  must  include  both  dancing  and  games. 
The  trophies  awarded  in  these  annual  or  semi- 
annual competitions  consist  of  silver  cups  and 
bronze  plaques — the  latter  being  the  more  numer- 
ous— which  have  been  donated  by  members  and 
friends  of  the  League.  They  usually  bear  plates 
upon  which  the  names  of  the  winning  classes  are 
engraved.  There  is  also  an  official  League  pin, 
shaped  much  like  the  athletic  badge  given  to  the 
boys,  which  is  bestowed  upon  the  individual  mem- 
bers of  the  winning  teams  or  classes  in  these  com- 
petitions. During  the  spring  meets  of  1909, 
2365  of  these  pins  were  awarded. 

The  Girls'  Branch  favors  dancing  as  an  exercise 
because  it  has  been  found  that  more  girls  can 
dance  in  the  same  space  than  can  engage  in  either 

320 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

class  athletics  or  team  games,  that  one  teacher 
can  instruct  more  pupils  in  dancing  than  in  any 
other  form  of  athletics,  and  that  it  affords  girls 
more  pleasure  and  wholesome  exercise  than  the 
games  or  sports.  At  the  same  time  the  organiza- 
tion is  very  much  alive  to  the  evils  which  might 
arise  from  the  wholesale  instruction  of  girls  in  an 
art  that  is  so  much  employed  upon  the  stage.  It 
therefore  has  forbidden -individual  dancing  or  any 
exhibitions  at  which  an  admission  fee  is  asked,  but 
folk  dancing  at  parents'  meetings  and  other  oc- 
casions when  friends  of  the  girls  are  invited  is  al- 
lowed. To  prevent  the  rise  of  social  distinctions 
a  ban  has  been  put  upon  the  purchase  of  fancy 
costumes,  the  needful  appearance  of  homogeneity 
being  accomplished  by  the  use  of  a  colored  hair- 
ribbon,  a  sash,  or  a  scarf,  which  may  be  made  of 
cheese-cloth  or  some  other  inexpensive  material. 
Girls  are  encouraged  to  provide  themselves  when 
possible,  however,  with  bloomers  and  suitable  shoes 
which  permit  more  freedom  in  exercising.  To 
guard  against  the  notoriety  and  unwholesome  ex- 
citement which  inter-school  competitions  inevi- 
tably produce  they  have  been  forbidden.  At  the 
same  time  the  legitimate  enthusiasm  attendant 
upon  large  occasions,  especially  those  out  of  doors, 
is  annually  allowed  free  play  in  huge  May  Day 
festivals. 

The  girls'  clubs  in  the  schools  of  Manhattan 
and  the  Bronx  gather  on  one  Saturday  morning 
in  the  year  in  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  while  those  of 
21  321 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Brooklyn  meet  in  Prospect  Park.  A  multitude 
of  4000  bright-eyed  children,  dancing  the  Carrousel 
or  winding  bright  streamers  around  fifty  May-poles 
upon  the  green  lawn  is  a  sight  that  lingers  long  in 
the  memories  of  the  parents  and  friends  who 
crowd  the  edges  of  the  vast  field  reserved  for  the 
sports. 

Besides  these  big  meets  individual  schools 
have  little  outings  of  their  own.  Thus  during  the 
past  summer  the  girls  of  the  Washington  Irving 
High  School  trooped  out  to  one  of  the  parks  and 
celebrated  "Midsummer  Day"  with  a  varied 
program  of  games  and  sports.  There  were  torch, 
hyirdle  and  chariot  races,  the  competitors  in  the 
last  event  being  teams  of  four  girls,  driven  by  a 
fifth,  running  abreast  and  carrying  a  wooden  bar 
with  reins  of  ribbons  attached  to  its  ends.  I  n  one  of 
the  relay  races  the  contestants  had  to  carry  large 
blocks  which  at  the  finish  were  built  into  a  minia- 
ture house.  Besides  the  fixed  events  there  were 
opportunities  open  to  all  to  swing  in  rings,  climb 
ladders  and  use  other  pieces  of  playground 
apparatus.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  an 
address  was  delivered  by  the  president  of  the  Pub- 
lic Schools  Athletic  League.  Even  more  sig- 
nificant of  the  effective  work  being  performed 
by  the  Girls'  Branch  are  the  private  May  parties, 
occurring  annually,  when  children  by  the  thou- 
sand throng  the  parks  and  carry  out  complete 
folk  dances,  with  and  without  music,  to  the  de- 
light of  the  accompanying  elders  and  friends. 

322 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

The  Girls'  Branch  was  organized  under  regula- 
tions prescribed  by  the  League  and  is  supported 
by  membership  fees  and  private  contributions 
from  about  one  hundred  public-spirited  women. 
There  are  no  district  sub-leagues,  but  otherwise 
its  affairs  are  administered  in  much  the  same  man- 
ner as  those  of  the  parent  organization.  It  like- 
wise has  no  official  connection  with  the  Depart- 
ment of  Education,  though  the  latter  has  very 
effectively  co-operated  by  inserting  in  its  course 
of  study  many  of  the  folk  dances,  by  permitting 
its  inspectors  of  athletics  to  assist  the  organization 
in  its  work,  and  by  taking  into  consideration  the 
character  of  the  work  done  by  the  grade  teachers 
who  conduct  the  girls'  clubs,  when  promotions 
are  made. 

Not  the  least  of  the  important  services  rendered 
by  the  Girls'  Branch  has  been  its  promotion  of 
class-room  games.  At  an  early  meeting  of  the 
League  one  of  its  prominent  members  donated 
fifty  dollars  as  a  prize  to  be  awarded  for  the  best 
original  game  that  should  be  capable  of  use  in  a 
room  with  fixed  seats  and  desks,  engaging  fifty 
pupils  at  one  time,  interesting  girls  as  advanced 
as  those  of  the  sixth  grade,  and  requiring  a  large 
amount  of  activity  from  all  of  the  participants. 
About  fifty  games  were  submitted  and  sixteen  of 
the  best  of  these,  including  the  prize  game  "  Bal- 
loon Goal/'  have  been  compiled  by  Miss  Jessie  H. 
Bancroft,  the  assistant  director  of  physical  train- 
ing, and  incorporated  in  the  official  handbook  of  the 

323 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Girls'  Branch  which  is  published  by  the  American 
Sports  Publishing  Company.* 

ATHLETICS  OUTSIDE  OF  NEW  YORK  CITY 

Largely  influenced  by  the  work  of  the  organiza- 
tion which  has  just  been  described,  school  sports 
have  been  organized  and  placed  upon  a  permanent 
footing  in  nearly  a  score  of  American  cities. 
Through  a  resolution  of  the  Cleveland  school 
board  "athletic  events  and  games  are  constituted 
a  regular  division  of  the  course  of  physical  training, 
and  shall  be  provided  for  under  the  supervision  of 
the  Department  of  Physical  Training  in  such  man- 
ner, approved  by  the  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
as  shall  subserve  the  purpose  of  physical  training 
as  herein  stated,  and  be  so  arranged  that  every 
public  school  pupil  desiring  to  do  so,  may  be 
able  to  participate  in  activities  of  this  nature  ap- 
propriate to  his  age  and  development."  Regula- 
tions governing  the  various  athletic  events  are 
also  given  in  detail. 

A  few  instances  will  serve  to  show  some  of  the 
principal  variations  in  the  affairs  and  methods  of 
the  different  leagues.  In  New  Orleans,  Troy  and 
Newark  (New  Jersey)  the  girls  are  allowed  to  have 
inter-school  competitions.  In  the  last  named  city 
these  take  the  form  of  physical  training  exhibitions 
and  athletic  meets,  the  chief  events  in  the  latter 
being  oat  bag  relay,  chariot,  Indian  club  and  flag 
relay  and  potato  races,  and  a  thirty-yard  dash. 

*2i  Warren  Street,  New  York. 
324 


'HE  "CARROUSEL" — WHERE  THERE'S  ROOM 


THE  "TARANTELLA" — IN  No  DANGER  FROM  TRAFFIC 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

In  the  place  of  a  classification  by  weight,  such  as  is 
used  in  New  York  track  and  field  sports,  Newark 
has  adopted  one  based  upon  age  and  height,  as 
follows: 

Juniors — 9  to  13  years,  height  less  than  4  feet 
10  inches. 

Intermediate — Under  15  years,  height  less  than 
5  feet  3^  inches. 

Seniors — Under  18  years,  any  height. 

For  each  of  these  grades  there  is  a  button  test 
involving  jumping,  chinning  the  bar  and  running. 
A  boy  who  comes  up  to  one  of  these  standards 
is  awarded  a  button  costing  twenty-five  cents; 
on  making  the  second  he  wins  a  forty-five-cent 
button  and  another  worth  seventy-five  cents  if, 
in  a  subsequent  year,  he  comes  up  to  the  third 
standard.  In  Cincinnati  the  athletic  badge  test 
includes  throwing  a  basket  ball  with  two  hands 
from  over  the  head,  besides  the  three  other  usual 
events.  The  Troy  League  does  not  believe  in 
giving  prizes  to  the  individual  competitors,  but 
awards  trophies  to  the  schools  represented  by  the 
winners.  The  annual  presentation  of  these,  how- 
ever, takes  place  at  a  meeting  in  a  large  hall, 
which  is  attended  by  parents,  friends  and  promi- 
nent citizens.  The  mayor,  councilmen  and  school 
officials  make  addresses,  and  the  boys  who  have 
won  events  during  the  year  march  up  to  the  plat- 
form to  the  sound  of  orchestral  music  and  are 
decorated  with  ribbon  badges  by  the  president  of 
the  League. 

325 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

As  in  New  York,  the  organization  of  leagues  in 
Cincinnati  and  one  or  two  other  cities  has  been 
initiated  by  the  director  of  physical  training.  In 
Seattle,  where  the  school  board  co-operates  by 
employing  a  man  who  gives  his  whole  time  to  the 
work  of  the  League,  its  inception  was  due  to  the 
director  of  the  local  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  who  had  been  in- 
spired by  a  talk  on  the  P.  S.  A.  L.  delivered  by 
Dr.  Gulick  at  the  St.  Louis  Exposition  in  1903. 
The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  also  started  and  still  takes  an 
active  part  in  the  school  athletics  of  Troy.  In 
Buffalo  the  superintendent  of  education  asked  a 
committee  of  school  principals  to  take  up  the 
matter  of  organizing  an  association  and  it  was  a 
similar  body  of  officials  that  instituted  the  Pitts- 
burgh Public  School  Boys'  Athletic  League.  In 
Schenectady  also  the  school  athletics  are  managed 
by  the  principals,  whose  enthusiasm  is  so  great 
that  they  are  able  to  hold  successful  meets  without 
the  aid  of  constitution  or  by-laws,  or  even  cir- 
culars and  blanks.  The  business  is  transacted  at 
the  regular  weekly  meetings  presided  over  by  the 
superintendent.  In  the  new  Pittsburgh  League 
pupils  from  the  fourth  to  the  eighth  grades  in- 
clusive, who  are  regular  in  attendance  and  stand 
well  in  deportment  and  scholarship  (they  must 
average  at  least  65  per  cent  in  their  studies),  are 
admitted  to  membership  upon  the  payment  of 
twenty-five  cents.  This  fee  entitles  them  to  ad- 
mission to  all  concerts,  exhibitions  and  meets  held 
by  the  League.  The  Buffalo  organization,  in  ad- 

326 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

dition  to  the  membership  fees  and  private  con- 
tributions, receives  annually  $3.00  from  each 
school  belonging,  while  the  Cincinnati  association 
besides  similar  sources  of  support  receives  an  an- 
nual appropriation  from  the  school  board.  In 
Baltimore  the  school  sports  are  managed  by  an 
outside  body  called  the  Public  Athletic  League 
in  which  the  school  commissioners  and  superin- 
tendent of  schools  have  a  voting  membership. 
The  League  holds  an  annual  athletic  meet  for 
school  boys  and  furnishes  them  with  instructors 
in  physical  training  and  sports.  The  Newark 
Board  of  Education  has  provided  a  twelve-acre, 
fully  equipped  athletic  field  worth  $75,000,  while 
in  Tacoma,  Washington,  a  magnificent  stadium 
has  been  constructed  for  the  public  school  boys  at 
a  cost  of  approximately  $80,000,  a  large  part  of 
which  was  donated  by  business  men. 

Besides  the  athletic  undertakings  which  have 
been  mentioned  there  are  throughout  the  country 
many  smaller  enterprises  ranging  in  importance 
from  the  activities  of  a  voluntary  association  like 
that  at  Schenectady  down  to  the  three  or  four 
ball  games  played  each  spring  by  the  village  high 
school  boys  with  nines  from  neighboring  schools. 
While  including  generally  no  events  like  those  of 
the  badge  test  or  class  athletics,  they  afford  in  dif- 
fering degrees  the  benefits  of  outdoor  competitions, 
and  in  many  instances  promise  to  grow  into  per- 
manent and  more  comprehensive  schemes.  In  no 
place  do  the  socializing,  character-building  effects 

327 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

of  promoted  sports  show  more  clearly  than  in  the 
rural  districts,  where  they  have  already  demon- 
strated the  capacity  for  meeting  an  increasingly 
recognized  need.  In  1906,  Myron  T.  Scudder, 
then  principal  of  the  New  Paltz  (New  York) 
Normal  School,  organized  the  Country  School 
Athletic  League  of  Ulster  County,  which  at  its 
second  annual  field  day  and  play  picnic  had  more 
than  1 400  children  from  the  neighboring  districts, 
besides  200  high  and  normal  school  students  and 
from  1 200  to  1 500  adults.  The  expenses  were  met 
by  contributions  from  the  Granges,  the  county 
teachers'  association,  private  individuals  and  the 
proceeds  of  an  entertainment  given  by  the  Normal 
School  pupils.  The  badge  test  and  class  athletic 
events  of  the  New  York  P.  S.  A.  L.  were  both 
used  as  a  part  of  the  League's  activities  but, 
strange  as  it  may  seem,  few  of  the  country  boys 
could  satisfy  the  standards  of  the  former  and  it 
was  consequently  not  popular,  while  the  group 
athletics  were  generally  appreciated. 

Baseball  tournaments,  track  and  field  sports, 
and  folk  dancing  are  now  carried  on  in  connection 
with  the  vacation  playground  work  of  Newark 
and  many  other  cities,  and  these  features  are  un- 
doubtedly destined  to  have  greater  and  greater 
prominence  in  all  branches  of  summer  work  for 
young  people.  Organized  school  athletics  have 
also  contributed  largely  to  a  wholesome  celebra- 
tion of  Independence  Day.  One  of  the  most  en- 
joyable parts  of  the  "monster"  Fourth  of  July 

328 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 

program  carried  out  this  year  (1910)  by  the  city 
of  New  York  was  that  of  the  free  games  held  in 
eighteen  parks  well  distributed  throughout  the 
five  boroughs  of  the  municipality.  At  each  of 
these  centers  there  were  track  events  for  the 
members  of  eleven  different  athletic  bodies,  in- 
cluding those  from  the  public  schools,  the  P.  S.  A. 
L.  (elementary  and  high  school)  and  evening  re- 
creation centers  and  playgrounds.  No  entry  fees 
were  charged  the  competitors,  and  gold,  silver  and 
bronze  medals  were  awarded  to  the  first,  second 
and  third  winners  in  each  event.  The  existence 
of  these  organizations  all  in  working  order  greatly 
facilitated  the  efforts  of  the  public-spirited  men 
who  strove  to  give  the  young  people  of  the  city 
an  attractive  substitute  for  the  usual  internecine 
diversions  with  gunpowder. 

Folk  dancing  takes  place  in  the  after-school 
recreation  classes  for  girls  which  Newark  and  one 
or  two  other  cities,  like  New  York,  are  now  holding 
in  class  rooms  and  upon  the  roofs  of  school  build- 
ings. It  also  forms  one  of  the  recess  activities  at 
Pensacola,  to  which  reference  has  already  been 
made.*  In  this  city,  at  first,  the  hallways  were 
used  for  the  games  and  dances,  but  later  a  plat- 
form was  built  under  some  fine  trees  out  in  the 
yard  and  a  rented  piano  installed  at  which  the 
high  school  students  cheerfully  take  their  turns. 
Here  the  girls  lose  all  thought  of  books  in  the 
Looby  Loo,  Krakiavik,  Ladita  and  the  May-pole 

*See  Chapter  VI,  page  179. 
329 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

or  Barn  dances,  while  out  on  the  lawn  others, 
under  the  leadership  of  teachers,  are  engaged  in 
volley  ball  or  some  time-hallowed  game  that  was 
played  by  their  forefathers  upon  village  greens  in 
the  old  country.  Meanwhile  the  boys,  too,  on 
their  side,  have  good  times  jumping,  chinning,  and 
shot-putting,  in  short  run  contests  and  other  out- 
door events  which  are  suited  to  class  competitions. 
The  enthusiasm  of  the  teachers  and  the  improve- 
ment in  the  school  life  which  has  grown  out  of 
these  recess  games  have  already  been  dwelt  upon 
in  the  previous  pages. 

The  effects  of  systematic  sports  upon  the 
school — and  precisely  here  the  conscientious  teacher 
rightly  demands  that  they  must  justify  themselves 
—are  well  summed  up  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Lee  F. 
Hanmer  who,  through  his  service  as  inspector  of 
athletics  in  the  New  York  schools  and  his  later 
travels  for  the  Playground  Extension  Committee, 
has  had  exceptional  opportunities  for  observation: 

"In  cities  where  this  work  has  been  organized 
and  given  a  fair  test  school  authorities  are  prac- 
tically unanimous  in  saying  that: 

First — Class  work  is  better. 

Second — The  health  of  the  school  children  is 
improved. 

Third — A  wholesome  school  spirit  is  developed. 

Fourth — There  is  less  trouble  about  discipline 
owing  to  the  closer  relation  and  better  under- 
standing between  the  pupils  and  teachers." 


330 


ATHLETICS,    GAMES    AND    FOLK    DANCING 


REFERENCES 

BANCROFT,  JESSIE  H.:  Games  for  the  Playground,  Home,  School  and 
Gymnasium.  Pages  456.  The  Macmillan  Company,  New  York, 
1909.  Price  1 1. 50. 

BISHOP,  E.  C:  How  Should  the  Athletics  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Supple- 
ment Those  of  the  Public  Schools?  Hygiene  and  Physical 
Education,  Vol.  1,  No.  10,  page  880.  F.  A.  Bassett  Company, 
Springfield,  Mass.  Price  20  cents. 

BURCHENAL,  ELIZABETH:  Folk  Dances  and  Singing  Games.  Pages 
88.  G.  Schirmer,  New  York.  Price  1 1.50. 

CLINE,  EARL:  The  Advisability  of  Inter-High  School  Contests  in 
Athletics.  Physical  Education  Review,  Vol.  15,  No.  i.  Pages 
22.  American  Physical  Education  Association,  Springfield, 
Mass.  Price  50  cents. 

CRAMPTON,  C.  WARD:  The  Folk  Dance  Book.  4to  cloth.  Pages 
82.  The  A.  S.  Barnes  Company,  New  York,  1910.  Price  $1.50. 

GULICK,  LUTHER  HALSEY:  Folk  and  National  Dances.  Proceedings 
of  the  Second  Annual  Playground  Congress,  1908,  pages  429-439. 
Playground  Association  of  America,  i  Madison  Avenue,  New 

^^~  York.     Price  5  cents;  $2.50  per  hundred  copies. 

HANMER,  LEE  F.:  Athletics  in  the  Public  Schools.  Pamphlet  pub- 
lished by  Department  of  Child  Hygiene  of  the  Russell  Sage 

V*^  Foundation,  i  Madison  Avenue,  New  York.  1910.  Pages  36. 
Price  5  cents;  12.50  per  hundred  copies. 

JOHNSON,  GEORGE  E.:  Education  by  Plays  and  Games.  Pages  234. 
Ginn  and  Company,  Boston,  1907.  Price  90  cents. 

LARNED,  CHARLES  W.:  Athletics  from  Historical  and  Educational 
Standpoint.  Physical  Education  Review,  Vol.  14,  No.  i,  page  i. 
American  Physical  Education  Association,  Springfield,  Mass. 
Price  50  cents. 

MEANWELL.  W.  E.:  The  Team  Game  Tournament.  Hygiene  and 
Physical  Education,  Vol.  I,  No.  9,  page  796.  F.  A.  Bassett  Com- 
pany, Springfield,  Mass.  Price  20  cents. 

NICHOLS.E.  H.:  Competitive  Athletics.  Physical  Education  Review, 
Vol.  14,  No.  9,  page  589.  American  Physical  Education  Asso- 
ciation, Springfield,  Mass.  Price  50  cents. 

SCUDDER,  MYRON  T.:  Organized  Play  in  the  Country.  Charities  and 
The  Commons  for  August  3,  1907.  New  York. 

See  also  the  reports  of  the  Committees  on  Athletics  for  Boys  and 
Athletics  for  Girls,  of  the  Playground  Association  of  America,  i  Madi- 
son Avenue,  New  York  City,  and  the  handbooks  of  the  Public 
Schools  Athletic  Leagues  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  New- 
ark, N.  J.,  New  Orleans,  La.,  New  York,  N.  Y..  Seattle,  Wash. 

These  will  be  sent  free  on  application  to  the  Secretaries  of  the 
leagues  in  the  cities  mentioned. 


XI 

MEETINGS  IN  SCHOOL  HOUSES 


CHAPTER  XI 
MEETINGS  IN   SCHOOL  HOUSES 

THE  following  description  of  a  school  house 
gathering  occurs   in   the   attractive   little 
volume,    Home  and   School,*  written    by 
Mrs.  Mary  Van  Meter  Grice: 

We  meet  the  principal  of  the  school  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  where  he  stands  receiving  those  who  enter. 
If  he  does  not  know  the  parents,  he  learns,  on  question- 
ing them,  what  child  or  children  they  represent,  and 
directs  them  at  once  to  the  class  rooms  of  those  children, 
where  the  teacher  receives  them  and,  for  the  half-hour 
before  the  exercises  of  the  evening  begin,  talks  with 
them  of  the  young  people  in  whom  they  all  have  a 
common  interest.  On  the  walls  and  on  the  desks  are 
displayed  the  work  of  these  children,  so  there  is  no 
danger  that  conversation  will  lag  for  lack  of  subject 
matter.  We  stand  beside  the  teacher,  watching  with 
interest  the  mothers  and  fathers  who  enter.  Among 
the  group  a  man  and  woman  especially  attract  us. 
They  are  so  eager,  so  interested.  The  man  holds  a 
folded  slip  of  paper  in  his  hand,  as,  indeed,  all  do  who 
enter;  he  comes  forward,  followed  by  his  shy  little  wife, 
and  in  presenting  the  paper  to  the  teacher  with  the 
question,  "Is  this  Miss  Jones?"  reveals  at  once  his 
nationality;  he  is  evidently  one  of  a  group  of  English 
workingmen  who  have  settled  recently  in  a  colony 
near  the  school,  and  who  are  occupied  all  day  in  the 

*  Grice,  Mary  Van  Meter:  Home  and  School.  Christopher 
Sower  Co.,  Philadelphia. 

335 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

mills  and  factories  hard  by.  Miss  Jones  opens  the  note 
and  reads  what  she  herself  had  dictated  to  her  class 
the  day  before: 

My  dear  Miss  Jones:  This  note  will  introduce  to  you  my 
father  and  mother,  who  would  like  to  see  some  of  my  work. 
(Signed)  JOHN  ARNOLD. 

Looking  up  with  a  bright  smile,  she  exclaims,  in  a 
tone  of  welcome :  "  Oh,  are  you  John  Arnold's  father  ?" 

The  man  gives  assent,  and  in  the  same  breath  says: 
"  How  is  John  getting  on  with  his  arithmetic?" 

"John  ?"  smiles  the  teacher;  "well,  John  is  the  worst 
boy  in  arithmetic  I  ever  had."  With  this  declaration 
.she  leads  the  way  to  a  piano,  upon  which  are  piles  of 
lesson  papers,  and  invites  the  father  to  examine  those 
belonging  to  his  son.  The  man  is  interested,  you  can 
see  from  the  animated  conversation  he  holds  with  the 
teacher,  from  whom  he  continually  turns  to  emphasize 
to  his  wife  opinions  evidently  expressed  many  times 
before  in  the  home. 

"There,  Annie,  didn't  I  tell  you  so?"  he  exclaims 
over  and  over  again.  "  I've^wrestled  all  winter  with 
John  and  his  'sums/  and  could  do  nothing  with  him." 
All  the  while  John's  mother  stands  silently  by.  She  has 
not  spoken,  but  her  face  betrays  her  interest.  Her  eye 
takes  in  the  room  and  its  setting,  and,  when  at  last  the 
teacher  turns  to  speak  to  her,  the  question  that  falls 
from  her  lips  reveals  the  attitude  of  her  mind.  No 
question  of  mental  development  this,  no  suggestion  of 
attainment,  yet  we  think  we  have  never  heard  a  more 
motherly  inquiry:  "Where  does  John  sit?"  .  . 
And  as  Mrs.  Arnold  nestles  down  in  John's  seat,  and 
assures  her  husband  that  "  it  is  comfortable,"  she  looks 
for  a  few  moments  on  John's  world,  her  boy's  battle- 
ground where  he  is  fighting  out  his  daily  conflicts.  .  . 

At  eight-fifteen  the  sound  of  a  bell  announces  the 
meeting  which  is  to  be  held  in  the  communicating  class 
rooms  on  the  third  floor.  This  school  is  not  fortunate 
enough  to  have  an  assembly  hall,  so  fathers  and  mothers, 

336 


MEETINGS   IN    SCHOOL   HOUSES 

stout  men  and  stouter  women,  are  compelled  to  squeeze 
into  desk  seats  that  barely  accommodate  the  half- 
grown  boy  or  girl.  The  rooms  are  crowded — we  judge 
there  must  be  some  three  or  four  hundred  persons.  . 

"What  are  they  going  to  do?"  one  anxious  mother 
whispers  to  another. 

i  do  not  know,"  is  the  reply;  "but  it's  something 
to  make  things  better  for  the  children." 

There  is  music  to  begin  with;  some  one  from  the 
neighborhood,  or  one  of  the  teachers,  has  volunteered. 
The  applause  has  barely  ceased  when  the  principal 
steps  to  the  front  and  welcomes  his  guests  in  a  few  well- 
chosen  words.  He  speaks  to  them  of  the  problem  which 
they  hold  in  common;  of  the  great  help  it  would  be  to 
him  and  to  all  the  teachers  to  know  them  better,  and 
to  feel  assured  of  their  sympathetic,  intelligent  co- 
operation. How  could  they  co-operate?  He  tells 
them  of  some  two  or  three  ways  in  which  they  could 
help  the  school,  ways  that  are  related  to  that  especial 
neighborhood,  and  then  he  repeats  how  glad  he  is  to 
have  them  there  and  how  earnestly  he  wishes  this  may 
be  but  the  beginning  of  many  such  gatherings,  and  that 
the  homes  of  the  community  and  the  school  may  be- 
come bound  by  indissoluble  ties.  .  .  . 

We  have  been  made  to  feel  the  importance  of  our 
calling,  and  we  have  been  made  welcome,  which  means 
much.  Had  there  been  lurking  doubt  about  the  matter, 
it  would  have  vanished  under  the  genial  talk  of  the 
superintendent.  He  represents  the  city,  and  he  tells 
us  of  the  splendid  results  that  have  grown  out  of  the 
awakened  interest  of  parents  in  other  parts  of  our  own 
city  and  in  other  cities.  He  is  full  of  enthusiasm  for  the 
movement,  and  long  before  he  ceases  speaking  we  are 
fired  with  the  wish  that  our  school  might  have  some 
such  organization  connected  with  it,  too.  Still  we  are 
wondering  just  how  it  will  come  about,  when  suddenly 
we  are  conscious  of  a  woman's  voice  breaking  the  silence 
that  has  followed  the  last  address. 

"Mr.  Chairman,"  she  is  saying,  and  we  turn  around 
to  see  one  of  our  neighbors,  who  is  always  in  the  fore- 

22  337 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

front  of  every  good  movement,  standing,  with  flushed 
face  and  eager  manner — "Mr.  Chairman,  why  could  not 
we  have  a  Home  and  School  Association,  such  as  we 
have  heard  of  tonight,  formed  in  this  school?"  That  is 
just  the  question  the  chairman  has  been  wanting  asked, 
and  we  are  rather  inclined  to  suspect  our  good  neighbor 
was  instructed  to  ask  it.  He  comes  forward  and  says 
with  alacrity: 

"There  is  no  reason  at  all.  How  many  persons  in 
this  room  would  like  to  see  such  an  Association  formed?" 
One  sees  a  sprinkling  of  raised  hands,  but  they  are 
enough  to  secure  a  beginning.  Then  follows  the  usual 
"  business"  of  presenting  a  constitution  and  by-laws  and 
the  election  of  officers.  Our  suspicions  are  confirmed 
by  the  time  all  this  has  been  done;  we  feel  assured  of 
the  wisdom  of  the  chairman;  we  know  plans  must  have 
been  made  before  the  meeting,  for  it  certainly  is  not  by 
accident  that  people  so  fitting  to  each  office  should  have 
been  proposed  on  the  spur  of  the  moment;  we  recall 
with  chagrin  the  last  Ladies'  Aid  meeting  over  which 
we  presided,  and  for  which  we  had  failed  to  plan;  how 
the  most  scriptural  thing  about  it  was  the  common  con- 
sent with  which  ''all  began  to  make  excuse"  as  soon  as 
suggested  for  any  position. 

The  chairman  announces  that  the  names  of  those 
desiring  to  become  members  will  be  taken  by  persons 
in  the  different  rooms.  The  annual  dues  of  twenty-five 
cents  can  be  paid  tonight  or  sent  later.  A  pleasant 
confusion  ensues,  during  which  we  turn  and  talk  to  our 
nearby  neighbors  or  listen  to  the  men  about  us  dis- 
cussing topics  of  current  interest.  Suddenly  in  our 
midst  some  twenty  girls  of  the  upper  grade  appear  with 
coffee  and  cake.  With  absolute  literalism  the  last 
vestige  of  "ice"  melts  before  the  fumes  of  that  hot  coffee, 
and  in  the  "breaking  of  bread"  we  get  very  near  to 
many  of  those  whom  we  have  known  by  sight  only. 

The  author  writes  out  of  her  long  experience 
at  the  head  of  the  Philadelphia  Home  and  School 

338 


MEETINGS    IN   SCHOOL    HOUSES 

League,  and  the  account  not  only  gives  an  ex- 
cellent example  of  the  occasions  under  considera- 
tion, but  shows  the  manner  of  starting  the  kind  of 
organization  which  more  than  any  other  in  the 
United  States  holds  these  assemblies.  Further 
details  of  the  organization,  its  character  and 
functions,  may  best  be  shown  by  resorting  again 
to  a  typical  case.  In  the  Dunlap  Home  and 
School  Association  of  Philadelphia  women  fill  all 
the  offices  except  that  of  vice-president,  and  the 
president  is  the  principal  of  the  school  with  which 
it  is  connected.  At  its  public  meetings,  held 
monthly  during  the  school  year,  such  topics  as 
these  are  discussed :  "  Cigarette  Smoking/'  "  Bene- 
fits Accruing  from  Small  Classes,"  "School  Habits 
from  Parents'  Standpoint/'  "  How  to  Bring  the 
Home  and  School  into  Closer  Relation/'  As 
the  Board  of  Education  furnishes  the  heat,  light 
and  janitor  service  the  meetings  involve  prac- 
tically no  expense,  and  the  twenty-five  cent  dues 
received  from  the  350  members  are  expended 
for  athletic  supplies,  playground  apparatus  and 
other  things  used  by  pupils.  Practical  interest 
in  children  was  further  shown  one  year  by  secur- 
ing the  establishment  of  a  kindergarten  and  by 
joining  with  the  other  associations  of  the  city  in 
the  production  of  a  carnival  in  the  armory. 
The  next  year  the  society  planned  to  secure  an 
athletic  field  for  its  section  of  the  city  and  to  ex- 
tend the  school's  influence  by  means  of  gatherings 
of  a  social  character.  Some  associations  hold 

339 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

only  three  or  four  meetings  during  the  year  while 
others  vary  their  annual  programs  with  receptions, 
illustrated  lectures,  musicales,  or  bi-monthly  en- 
tertainments in  which  story  telling,  athletic  con- 
tests, games,  dancing,  and  refreshments  form  the 
means  of  enjoyment.  Their  other  activities  are 
equally  varied.  Dancing  and  child  study 
classes,  demonstration  lessons  in  sight  singing  and 
physical  exercises,  oiling  the  school  house  floor  or 
renovating  the  building,  and  planting  trees  in  the 
yard,  organizing  purity  leagues  among  the  boys 
and  flower  clubs  among  the  girls,  supplying  the 
sick  poor  with  medicinal  aid, — these  are  but  a 
few  of  the  services  they  perform  for  the  community. 
The  League  already  mentioned  was  formed 
through  the  federation  of  these  associations,  now 
sixty  in  number,  which  exist  in  and  around  Phila- 
delphia. Its  purposes,  as  stated  in  the  constitu- 
tion, are  (i)  to  further  all  movements  toward  the 
perpetuation  of  the  correct  ideal  of  the  American 
home,  and  (2)  to  insure  intelligent  co-operation 
between  the  home  and  the  school.  Each  con- 
stituent association  elects  one  of  its  members  to 
serve  upon  the  League's  board  of  managers  and 
pays  annual  dues  of  one  dollar  or  more.  In  re- 
turn the  local  body  enjoys  the  privilege  of  the 
bureaus  of  speakers  and  entertainments  which  the 
League  maintains.  It  acts  also  as  a  clearing- 
house of  information  and  inspiration,  accomplish- 
ing this  service  mainly  by  circulating  printed 
matter  and  holding  an  annual  conference  in  the 

340 


MEETINGS    IN   SCHOOL    HOUSES 

fall  and  a  joint  entertainment  in  the  spring.  In 
addition,  the  League  bears  the  initial  expense  of 
forming  new  associations  and  pays  many  of  the 
supervisors  and  helpers  who  are  employed  in  the 
social  centers  already  described  in  Chapter  IX. 
Among  its  standing  committees  may  be  mentioned 
those  on  literature,  library  distribution,  story 
telling,  school  lunches,  and  the  further  use  of  school 
buildings.  These  indicate  the  lines  along  which  it 
collects  information,  gives  counsel  and,  in  the  caseof 
story  telling,  is  active.  Affiliated  with  the  League 
are  fifteen  other  organizations  which  include  civic 
clubs,  alumni  societies,  a  chapter  of  the  D.  A.  R., 
two  mothers'  clubs,  a  couple  of  women's  clubs  and 
the  Public  Education  Association. 

A  similar  federation  is  the  Boston  Home  and 
School  Association  which,  organized  in  December, 
1908,  with  nine  component  "parents'  associations," 
has  now  over  a  score  of  branches  meeting  in 
the  school  houses  of  as  many  districts.  Their 
gatherings  for  the  most  part  occur  monthly  dur- 
ing the  school  year  and  the  topics  discussed  by 
the  physicians,  trained  nurses,  educators,  social 
workers  and  other  prominent  persons  who  co- 
operate have  included:  "The  Father  of  the  Boy," 
"Two  Points  towards  the  Making  of  an  Ideal 
Mother,"  "The  Relation  of  Breathing  to  Health," 
"  Home-made  Toys,"  "  How  to  Make  Housework 
Easy,"  "Where  to  Find  Free  Amusement,"  and 
"What  our  Children  Ought  to  Know."  As  in 
Philadelphia,  the  pupils  of  the  school  or  their 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

friends  frequently  entertain  the  audiences  with 
piano,  violin  and  chorus  music,  and  readings, 
after  which  the  evening  is  rounded  out  with 
refreshments  and  a  social  hour.  One  association 
gave  an  "apron  and  necktie  party"  at  which 
social  dancing  was  enjoyed. 

How  easily  the  problems  of  hospitality  are  solved 
is  shown  in  the  following  report  from  the  Fran- 
cis Parkman  district:  "We  have  had  coffee  at 
most  of  the  meetings,  sold  us  at  a  reduction  by  a 
store-keeper;  cream  supplied  at  a  reduction  by 
another  member;  sometimes  paper  napkins  are 
given  us,  with  the  name  of  the  firm  printed  on. 
We  make  the  coffee  ourselves  on  a  gas  stove  at  the 
school,  and  we  wash  the  dishes  ourselves.  Re- 
freshments at  an  average  cost  $1.50  a  meeting. 
We  have  bought  one  hundred  cups  and  saucers, 
$10;  144  spoons  (at  wholesale),  $4.00;  plates, 
40  cents;  pitchers,  70  cents;  and  before  the  next 
meeting  shall  have  a  coffee  boiler.  We  have  had 
fruit  punch  once."  The  Chapman  School  Parents' 
League  held  a  neighborhood  improvement  con- 
test in  which  four  prizes  of  $5.00  each  were  offered 
those  residents  who  during  the  summer  should 
show  (i)  the  best  kept  home  premises,  (2)  the 
best  flower  garden,  (3)  the  best  vegetable  garden, 
and  (4)  the  best  window  boxes.  In  another  as- 
sociation the  practical  work  took  the  form  of  se- 
curing electric  lighting  for  the  school  and  of 
purchasing  books  on  moral  training  to  be  loaned 
to^mothers. 

342 


MEETINGS    IN    SCHOOL    HOUSES 

The  major  association  disseminates  information 
among  the  branches  through  a  monthly  news 
letter,  conducts  a  lecture  bureau,  distributes  seeds 
for  home  and  school  gardens  in  co-operation  with 
the  Boston  Social  Union,  combines  with  the 
Woman's  Municipal  League  in  arranging  art  ex- 
hibitions in  the  public  schools,  with  the  school- 
masters in  instituting  a  vocation  bureau  and 
with  other  civic  and  educational  organizations 
in  pushing  the  "  Boston-i9i5"  movement.  Its 
theatre  committee  investigated  the  manner  in 
which  some  3300  school  children  spent  their  eve- 
nings and  published  the  results  of  their  study. 
The  committee  on  hygiene,  out  of  consideration 
for  pupils'  eyesight,  has  exerted  its  influence  to 
have  the  school  windows  kept  clean,  and  is  now 
engaged  in  a  study  of  the  nutrition  of  anemic 
children.  Lists  of  books  and  pamphlets  suitable 
for  parents,  boys  and  girls  have  been  published 
by  two  other  committees,  while  the  seven  mem- 
bers assigned  to  the  promotion  of  a  "further  use 
of  school  buildings/'  acting  in  an  advisory  capacity 
to  the  Boston  School  Committee,  have  proposed 
an  elaborate  plan  to  secure  such  use,  which  the 
municipal  educational  body  has  accepted. 

In  Auburn,  New  York,  the  Parent-Teachers 
Clubs  which  are  connected  with  eight  public 
schools  have  formed  an  association  which  annually 
raises  funds,  hires  directors  and  conducts  play- 
grounds at  five  different  centers.  During  the  past 
year  it  asked  the  secretary  of  the  State  Probation 

343 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

Commission  to  visit  them,  explain  the  details  of 
its  work  and  propose  methods  for  introducing  the 
probation  system  in  Auburn.  The  association 
then  appointed  a  committee  which  secured  the  co- 
operation of  the  Men's  Federation,  the  labor 
unions,  and  many  other  clubs.  The  campaign  for 
creating  public  sentiment  culminated  in  a  large 
public  meeting  at  which  addresses  upon  the  need 
and  value  of  probation  work  were  made  by  promi- 
nent persons.  The  resolutions  prepared  at  this 
meeting  were  adopted  by  all  of  the  co-operating 
organizations  and  their  presentation  to  the  Com- 
mon Council  and  Board  of  Estimate  and  Control 
resulted  in  the  appropriation  of  a  probation 
officer's  salary  and  the  appointment  of  a  capable 
man  to  fill  the  position. 

The  seventeen  mothers'  clubs  connected  with 
the  Houston,  Texas,  schools  during  the  first  two 
years  of  their  existence  raised  by  means  of  enter- 
tainments, contributions,  and  dues,  over  $21,000. 
This  amount  was  expended  in  providing  hot, 
nutritious  lunches  for  pupils,  purchasing  or  rent- 
ing pianos,  framing  pictures,  maintaining  kinder- 
gartens, equipping  school  kitchens  and  securing 
many  other  educational  benefits  for  their  children 
which  could  not  be  obtained  from  school  moneys. 

At  Public  School  Number  40  in  New  York  City 
a  home  and  school  association  has  been  organized 
which  holds  two  public  meetings  a  year,  at  which 
the  parents,  pupils  and  graduates  gather,  enjoy  a 
program  of  music,  readings  and  folk  dancing  and 

344 


MEETINGS    IN    SCHOOL    HOUSES 

get  acquainted.  The  winter  entertainment  is  ar- 
ranged by  the  pupils;  that  in  the  spring  by  the 
parents  and  friends  of  the  school.  The  annual 
membership  dues  are  |i.oo,  which  with  the  con- 
tributions received  are  used  in  publishing  a  school 
magazine,  purchasing  pictures  and  casts  for  school 
walls,  uniforms  for  the  athletic  teams,  and  bunting 
for  the  indoor  meets.  The  association  also  dis- 
tributes second-hand  clothing  among  needy  pupils. 
By  collecting  and  repairing  worn-out  shoes  thirty- 
five  boys  were  shod  at  a  cost  of  only  $6.00.  Such 
societies  as  these,  filling  in  the  gaps  between  the 
home  and  the  city  care  of  children,  are  common  in 
the  schools  of  New  York  and  in  many  other  cities 
throughout  the  land. 

Nor  is  the  movement  confined  to  urban  com- 
munities. Up  in  Newaygo  and  Oceana  counties, 
Michigan,  there  are  teacher-patrons'  associations 
under  the  auspices  of  which  the  farmers,  their  chil- 
dren and  instructors  get  together  in  the  school 
houses,  discuss  their  mutual  problems,  and  relieve 
the  monotony  of  rural  life  with  social  meetings. 
These  meetings  became  so  popular  and  their 
effects  so  far-reaching  that  the  name  "Hesperia 
movement"  was  given  to  them,  after  one  of  the 
towns  in  which  there  was  an  especially  strong 
association.  In  the  country  districts  of  other 
states  also  the  school  house  is  used  for  Sunday 
services,  while  in  the  villages  of  the  southwest 
where  homes  are  small  and  halls  few,  it  is  the  place 
not  only  of  religious  gatherings  but  also  of  dancing 

345 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

parties  and  of  various  other  kinds  of  assemblies. 
Concerning  the  value  of  parent-teacher  associa- 
tions for  enriching  the  life  of  the  rural  districts, 
County  Superintendent  O.  J.  Kern  writes  in  a  re- 
cent article:  "The  country  people  have  it  in  their 
own  power  to  make  country  life  so  attractive  that 
more,  not  all,  of  the  farm's  best  crop — the  boys  and 
girls — will  not  go  to  the  cities  with  the  high  bred 
corn  and  fat  cattle." 

As  to  the  regard  in  which  activities  of  this  sort 
are  held  by  city  schoolmen,  the  opinion  is  so 
unanimous  that  a  single  expression  of  it  will  suffice. 
In  a  recent  report  Superintendent  William  H. 
Elson  of  Cleveland  writes:  "No  phase  of  school 
work  is  more  important  or  far-reaching.  To  en- 
list the  active  interest  of  the  home  in  the  work  of 
the  children  and  in  the  welfare  of  the  school  is  to 
foster  mutual  good-will  between  the  teacher  on  the 
one  hand  and  the  parents  and  pupils  on  the  other. 
Parents'  meetings  and  mothers'  clubs  contribute 
valuable  aid,  the  helpful  and  supporting  influence 
of  which  was  distinctly  felt  in  the  conduct  of  the 
school." 

The  organization  which  more  than  any  other 
has  promoted  the  formation  of  mothers'  clubs  and 
parent-teacher  associations  is  the  National  Con- 
gress of  Mothers.*  Its  branches  now  exist  in 
thirty-two  states  and  the  number  of  clubs  and 
associations  which  make  up  these  state  bodies 

*The  permanent  address  of  the  National  Congress  of  Mothers  is 
806  Loan  and  Trust  Building,  Washington,  D.  C. 

346 


MEETINGS   IN   SCHOOL   HOUSES 

ranges  from  20  to  1 70.  Booklets  and  other  printed 
matter  giving  lists  of  speakers  and  information 
about  the  activities  of  the  Congress,  and  telling 
how  to  organize  home  and  school  societies,  are 
furnished  upon  application. 

So  strong  is  the  desire  to  secure  the  co-operation 
of  the  home  that  there  is  a  growing  tendency  among 
schoolmen  to  create  occasions  when  the  presence 
of  the  parents  at  the  schools  may  be  officially 
requested.  Thus  in  Los  Angeles  the  fathers  and 
mothers  of  the  pupils  examined  by  the  school  phy- 
sicians were  invited  to  a  conference  by  the  director 
of  the  school  department  of  health  and  develop- 
ment. Twice  during  the  year  the  Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania,  parents  receive  personal  invitations 
to  visit  the  schools  and  inspect  the  work  of  their 
children.  After  dismissal  informal  receptions  are 
held  when  teachers  and  visitors  get  acquainted. 
The  parents  of  children  in  a  New  York  school  and 
members  of  the  G.  A.  R.  were  invited  to  attend 
the  dedication  of  some  statuary  representing  his- 
torical characters  which  had  been  purchased  by 
the  principal  and  teachers  to  decorate  the  halls 
and  rooms.  During  a  recent  celebration  of  Lin- 
coln's Birthday  in  the  same  city,  meetings  ad- 
dressed by  judges,  clergymen  and  many  other 
prominent  persons  were  held  in  each  school  dis- 
trict for  the  people  of  the  neighborhood. 

Another  class  of  gatherings  is  made  up  of  the 
meetings  of  miscellaneous  societies  which  find  the 
class  room  or  assembly  hall  inexpensive  and  con- 

347 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

venient  quarters  for  their  activities.  The  Win- 
chester, Massachusetts,  Orchestral  Society  holds  its 
rehearsals  in  the  high  school  where  also  the  local 
Handicraft  Society  has  a  room,  the  slight  ex- 
pense of  opening  the  rooms  at  night  being 
borne  by  the  organizations.  In  Cambridge  the 
Historical  Society  and  the  Anti-Cigarette  League 
hold  their  sessions  in  class  rooms,  as  does  also  the 
School  Master's  Club  of  Quincy.  The  WyckofT 
Heights  Taxpayers'  Association  of  Brooklyn  re- 
cently announced  "a  grand  educational  meet- 
ing" to  be  held  in  a  public  school  at  which  "Child 
Conservation/'  "Recreation  for  City  Youth," 
"Public  Drinking  Cup  Dangers,"  and  similar 
topics  would  be  discussed  by  competent  speakers. 
In  their  efforts  to  create  and  maintain  public  in- 
terest in  better  school  facilities,  roads  and  side- 
walks, and  more  beautiful  parks,  the  Federated 
Improvement  Associations  of  Syracuse  also  make 
use  of  school  assembly  rooms.  The  vitalization 
of  the  recess  periods  in  the  Pensacola  schools,  al- 
ready referred  to  in  previous  chapters,  is  reported 
by  a  School  Improvement  Association  which 
meets  the  "second  Friday  of  each  month  at  School 
No.  i."  Through  the  agency  of  special  commit- 
tees on  school  grounds,  decoration,  gardening,  in- 
spection, attendance,  manual  training,  domestic 
science  and  free  kindergartens  a  progressive  group 
of  parents,  teachers  and  business  men  accomplish 
their  purpose  of  "doing  whatever  may  promote  the 
highest  efficiency  of  the  public  schools  of  Pensa- 

348 


MEETINGS    IN    SCHOOL   HOUSES 

cola."  About  one  hundred  and  fifty  similar  as- 
sociations have  been  formed  in  Florida  and  they 
exist  also  in  other  states. 

Class  rooms  and  halls  are  used  by  school  officials 
for  their  teachers'  extension  courses,  music  classes, 
conferences  and  other  professional  meetings,  as 
well  as  by  such  voluntary  organizations  as  the 
Federation  of  Public  School  Teachers  and  Society 
of  Pedagogy;  but  such  occasions  being  well-known, 
and  related  more  particularly  to  the  day  school 
activities,  need  not  be  discussed  here.  In  a 
similar  category  are  the  multitudinous  pupil  socie- 
ties which  are  found  especially  in  high  schools, 
whose  meetings  occasion  more  or  less  use  of  class 
rooms  after  school  hours.  Glee,  orchestra,  whist- 
ling, mandolin,  reading,  French,  history, — clubs 
with  these  names  abound  on  high  school  bulletin 
boards,  and  to  the  list  may  be  added  many  other 
societies,  such  as  the  Treble  Clef  Chorus,  Congress, 
Senate,  and  Associated  Student  Body.  As  to  the 
value  of  these  organizations  there  is  a  division  of 
opinion  among  school  officials.  The  principal  of 
the  Central  High  School  in  Washington  in  his  report 
for  1907  says:  "The  school  has  studiously  refrained 
from  giving  anything  like  an  official  sanction  to  any 
of  these  clubs  and  has  developed  a  sentiment  which 
prevents  any  meetings  except  on  Friday  or  Satur- 
day nights.  Much  more  remains  to  be  done  in 
awakening  parents  to  a  realization  of  the  danger 
to  the  pupil  from  all  this  scattering  of  his  energies 
and  in  making  them  understand  that  because  a 

349 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

club  has  a  school  name  it  is  not  necessarily  a  vital 
or  necessary  part  of  the  school  life."  The  Chicago 
Board  of  Education  in  1908  adopted  stringent 
measures  against  secret  societies  in  high  schools, 
but  at  the  same  time  it  "  Resolved,  That  so  far  as 
possible  a  room  shall  be  set  aside  in  every  high 
school  for  the  social  uses  of  the  pupils,  and  that 
every  opportunity  be  granted  them  for  an  or- 
ganized social  life,  which  shall  be  open  to  member- 
ship to  every  pupil  in  the  school." 

A  still  more  hospitable  attitude  is  that  of  Prin- 
cipal William  R.  Lasher  of  Brooklyn,  who  wrote 
in  a  recent  article:  "It  has  been  the  policy  of 
Erasmus  Hall  to  welcome  every  organization  that 
arises  among  its  pupils,  provided  that  the  purpose 
for  which  such  organization  exists  is  a  good  one. 
One  group  of  pupils  formed  an  excursion  club  for 
the  purpose  of  visiting  manufacturing  and  power 
plants  of  scientific  interest;  another  group  formed 
the  'Monday  Club'  for  the  encouragement  of 
original  work  in  literature;  other  groups  formed 
fraternities  and  sororities  for  purposes  largely 
social;  and  so  on  through  a  long  and  exceedingly 
varied  list  of  associations.  Toward  all  of  these 
the  principal  has  assumed  a  uniform  attitude  of 
approval  and  encouragement,  the  main  restriction 
imposed  being  that  each  organization  must  secure 
some  member  of  the  faculty  to  be  responsible  in  a 
general  way  for  seeing  that  the  affairs  of  the  or- 
ganization are  conducted  in  a  proper  manner. 
The  result  of  this  policy  has  been  that  the  school 

350 


MEETINGS   IN   SCHOOL   HOUSES 

has  become  the  center  of  a  great  deal  of  student 
activity,  some  of  it  purely  social,  some  of  it  scho- 
lastic, and  connected  more  or  less  intimately  with 
the  work  of  the  class  rooms.  The  field  covered 
by  the  many  organizations  engaged  in  this  work  is 
so  wide  that  few  pupils  are  likely  to  remain  in  the 
school  for  the  full  course  without  having  some  part 
in  it.  These  societies  interest  the  pupils  in  the 
school.  They  are  a  strong  influence  in  retaining 
pupils  to  complete  the  course,  and  are  thus  an 
efficient  aid  in  reducing  the  much-talked -of  'high 
school  mortality/  They  create  a  fine  school  spirit 
and  inspire  among  the  pupils  an  intense  loyalty 
which  is  retained  by  the  graduates." 

An  example  of  the  common  attitude  of  school 
authorities  towards  the  meetings  of  outside  bodies 
is  found  in  the  rule  of  the  Philadelphia  board: 
"School  buildings  and  grounds  shall  be  used  for 
educational  purposes  only/'  This  regulation  does 
not,  as  has  been  shown,  exclude  parents'  associa- 
tions, which  is  the  usual  construction  placed 
upon  it  in  the  many  other  cities  where  it  obtains. 
In  New  York,  "applications  from  organizations 
having  no  relation  with  the  schools  or  the  Board 
of  Education  are  always  disapproved/'  but  the 
instance  of  the  Brooklyn  taxpayers'  association 
shows  that  a  manifest  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
children  is  a  sufficient  kind  of  relationship.  In 
Detroit,  where  the  board  rule  specifically  permits 
the  use  of  school  buildings  for  "  teachers'  meetings 
for  educational  purposes,  semi-annual  graduating 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

exercises,  semi-annual  alumni  meetings,  meetings 
of  students  of  the  schools  for  musical  or  literary 
exercises/'  these  limits  have  been  passed  to  the 
extent  of  allowing  public  meetings  under  the 
Federation  of  Women's  Clubs  and  occasional 
gatherings  of  a  semi-political  character.  The 
same  tendency  toward  greater  liberality  appears 
in  recent  actions  of  the  Newark  board.  While 
drawing  the  line  strictly  at  occasions  with  political 
or  sectarian  objects,  it  has  in  one  or  two  instances 
given  way  before  the  pressure  to  admit  neighbor- 
hood and  citizens'  associations  to  its  buildings. 

The  arrival  at  a  definite  and  progressive  position 
is  seen  in  Syracuse,  whose  admission  of  improve- 
ment associations  has  already  been  alluded  to,  and 
in  Milwaukee  where  the  following  rule  has  been 
adopted :  "  Public  school  buildings  may  be  used  for 
other  than  public  school  purposes  as  herein  pro- 
vided. Whenever  three  or  more  reputable  and  re- 
sponsible citizens  of  the  City  of  Milwaukee  shall 
make  a  written  request  to  the  secretary  of  the 
board  for  the  privilege  of  using  one  or  more  rooms 
in  a  public  school  building  for  public  meetings  of 
civic  and  other  associations,  at  which  meetings 
questions  of  a  public,  civic  and  educational  nature 
may  be  discussed  and  lectures  thereon  given,  the 
same  to  be  divested  of  partisan  and  religious  bias, 
and  said  meetings  to  be  open  to  all  the  public  and 
free,  the  secretary  may,  in  his  discretion,  issue  a 
permit  to  make  use  of  such  room  or  rooms  without 
expense,  conditioned,  however,  upon  the  payment 

352 


MEETINGS    IN    SCHOOL   HOUSES 

of  any  damage  which  may  result  therefrom." 
The  advanced  position  taken  by  the  Rochester 
board  has  already  been  indicated  in  the  chapter  on 
social  centers.*  In  both  Columbus  and  Chicago 
the  school  board  proceedings  disclose  instances 
where  religious  organizations  have  been  granted 
the  use  of  school  auditoriums. 

The  London  County  Council  schools  are  let  in 
accordance  with  a  regular  scale  of  fees  for  Sunday 
schools,  political  meetings,  for  use  as  polling  sta- 
tions and  many  other  purposes  of  an  educational 
character,  and  this  is  the  general  custom  through- 
out England.  That  this  practice  has  financial  ad- 
vantages which  are  not  lightly  to  be  rejected  is 
shown  in  the  case  of  Nottingham,  whose  lettings 
in  a  recent  year  amounted  to  £555  15$.  9<i. 
about  $2684.43.  Kansas  City,  Missouri,  received 
some  $300  one  year  from  the  rentals  of  high  school 
assembly  halls,  and  other  American  cities  also  find 
a  source  of  income  from  the  use  of  buildings  by  out- 
side organizations. 

"The  formation  of  numerous  parents'  associa- 
tions," says  Superintendent  Poland,  of  Newark, 
"in  connection  with  the  larger  schools,  and  the  con- 
sequent need  of  a  suitable  room  for  assembling, 
served  to  create  a  strong  public  sentiment  in  favor 
of  providing  every  new  school  building  with  a 
spacious  assembly  hall."  And  so  effective  has 
this  feeling  been  that  many  cities  like  Newark  now 
include  an  auditorium  in  the  plans  for  all  new  ele- 

*  See  also  rules  given  in  Appendix  B. 
23  353 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

mentary  and  high  school  buildings,  while  others 
are  gradually  constructing  such  rooms  in  the  build- 
ings already  standing. 

Thus  the  wider  use  of  the  plant,  as  happens 
generally  in  the  realm  of  Nature,  makes  the  school 
plant  grow.  Then,  to  complete  the  circle  of  effects, 
the  growth  occasions  a  demand  for  more  use.  As 
evidence  of  this,  note  the  following  from  Super- 
intendent Wilbur  F.  Gordy,  a  kind  of  statement 
which  is  seen  more  and  more  in  school  reports  and 
whose  repetition  makes  it  a  trustworthy  harbinger 
of  the  near  day  when  the  utilization  of  school 
property  will  be  as  complete  as  here  urged : 

"The  school  buildings  of  Springfield  represent 
an  investment  of  about  two  and  one-half  millions 
of  dollars.  They  are  occupied  by  our  day  schools 
about  190  days  in  the  year  and  a  very  few  of  them 
for  evening  school  work  about  75  evenings  in 
the  year.  A  limited  use  of  them  is  also  made  by 
the  Playground  Association.  Beyond  this,  little, 
if  any,  use  is  made  of  this  large  property.  We 
as  a  municipality  are  not  getting  the  most  out  of 
our  school  buildings.  Every  school  house,  so  far 
as  possible,  should  become  a  center  of  com- 
munity life.  They  should  be  open  for  lectures 
and  public  gatherings,  and  as  large  a  use  made 
of  them  as  is  consistent  with  their  primary 
object,  the  housing  of  our  school  children." 


354 


MEETINGS   IN   SCHOOL   HOUSES 

REFERENCES 

ANDREWS,  MRS.  FANNIE  FERN:  Parents'  Associations  and  the  Public 
Schools.  Charities  and  The  Commons,  Vol.  XVII,  No.  8,  page 
335- 

The  Further  Use  of  School  Buildings.    New  Boston,  Vol.  I,  No. 
3,  page  115. 

BUTTERFIELD,  K.  L. :  Neighborhood  Co-operation  in  School  Life, — 
The  Hesperia  Movement.  Review  of  Reviews,  Vol.  23,  page  443. 

GRICE,  MRS.  MARY  VAN  METER:  Home  and  School.  Pages  154. 
Christopher  Sower  Company,  Philadelphia.  Price,  60  cents. 

HARRISON,  E.:  The  Scope  and  Results  of  Mothers'  Classes.  Proceed- 
ings of  the  N.  E.  A.,  1903,  page  400. 

HENROTIN,  MRS.  E.  M.:  The  Co-operation  of  Women's  Clubs  in  the 
Public  Schools.  Proceedings  of  the  N.  E.  A.,  1897,  Pa£e  73- 

Sec  also  the  reports  and  printed  matter  of  the  Philadelphia 
Home  and  School  League  (112  South  i3th  Street),  Boston  Home 
and  School  Association  (405  Marlborough  Street),  National  Con- 
gress of  Mothers  (806  Loan  and  Trust  Bldg.,  Washington,  D.  C.)  and 
the  annual  school  reports  of  the  cities  named  in  the  text. 


355 


XII 

SOCIAL  BETTERMENT  THROUGH 
WIDER  USE 


CHAPTER  XII 

SOCIAL   BETTERMENT 
THROUGH   WIDER    USE* 

THE  superintendent  of  a  prison  was  asked 
how  many  of  his  convicts  had  a  trade, 
and  he  replied,  "Not  one:  if  they  had  they 
would  not  be  here."  To  discover  why  people 
were  without  trades  the  Massachusetts  Industrial 
Commission  made  an  investigation  into  the  occu- 
pations of  children  who  begin  work  between 
fourteen  and  sixteen.  It  found  that  68  per 
cent  were  acting  as  errand  boys  and  messen- 
gers or  holding  equally  uneducative  positions  in 
the  textile  mills  and  other  unskilled  industries.! 
A  New  Jersey  commission  found  a  similar  labor 
condition  in  that  state.  In  answer  to  inquiries 
manufacturers  and  builders  replied:  "The  dearth 
of  skilled  workmen  is  due  to  a  number  of  causes. 
Apprenticeship  no  longer  finds  favor  with  the 
average  beginner  in  the  industries.  .  .  We 
cannot  afford  to  pay  our  apprentices  high  wages, 
for  their  instruction  is  expensive  for  us.  .  .  The 
constant  tendency  of  modern  industry  to  be- 

*  For  outline  of  this  chapter,  see  page  381. 

f  Report  of  the  Massachusetts  Commission  on   Industrial  and 
Technical  Education,  April,  1906.     Page  88. 

359 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

come  specialized  is  another  cause  of  the  dearth 
of  skilled  workmen/'*  These  facts  reveal  but 
one  of  many  troublesome  social  conditions  result- 
ing from  the  extraordinary  changes  which,  in 
the  past  two  centuries,  have  taken  place  in  the 
occupations  of  men  and  women. 

In  the  days  when  the  foundations  of  our  present 
school  system  were  laid,  the  mass  of  the  people 
were  farmers.  Carpenters  and  blacksmiths  gained 
much  of  their  living  from  the  ample  gardens  sur- 
rounding their  shops.  The  shoemaker  and  the 
clothes-maker  worked  in  farm  houses,  while  even 
the  lawyers  and  the  doctors  tilled  the  soil  at  the 
same  time  that  they  practiced  their  professions. 
In  fact,  all  of  the  necessities  of  life  in  those  days 
were  produced  in  an  agricultural  environment 
by  a  people  whose  main  occupation  was  farming. 

Then  came  the  birth  and  flowering  of  an  un- 
suspected national  genius  for  inventing  machinery. 
The  weaver  was  soon  gazing  with  amazement 
upon  a  machine  that  wove  yarn  into  cloth  faster 
than  he  could  do  it.  The  cobbler  saw  the  sole 
stitched  to  the  upper  by  a  mechanical  device  that 
never  grew  tired  in  the  back  or  suffered  from 
sore  hands.  And  so  it  was  with  nearly  all  of  the 
household  industries.  Machines  were  made  which 
took  the  place  of  fingers. 

When  iron  and  brass,  however,  were  put  to 
doing  the  work  hands  had  done,  it  was  found 

*  Report  of  the  New  Jersey  Commission  on  Industrial  Education, 
April,  1908.  Page  21. 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

necessary  to  divide  the  making  of  each  article 
into  a  large  number  of  smaller  jobs  and  to  contrive 
a  different  machine  for  the  performance  of  each. 
It  was  not  possible  to  invent  one  that  could  make 
all  the  parts.  Whereas  the  production  of  a  pair 
of  shoes  had  been  the  work  of  one  man,  it  now 
became  the  product  of  the  successive  performances 
of  several  score  of  machines,  each  directed  by 
a  different  operator.  Thus  the  number  of  distinct 
occupations  was  vastly  increased. 

To  become  the  runner  of  a  machine  takes  only 
a  few  months  of  practice,  but  after  this  training 
the  man  is  not  so  well  equipped  even  for  this 
labor  as  was  the  craftsman  of  old  who  had  to 
learn  the  whole  trade.  In  turning  his  hand  to 
one  after  another  of  its  various  tasks  the  latter 
acquired  agility  and  skill,  and  coping  with  a 
wide  range  of  situations  cultivated  self-reliance 
that  gave  him  the  power  to  meet  with  success 
whatever  change  of  circumstances  fate  might 
bring  him.  But  the  operator  of  today  is  stunted 
intellectually  and  physically  by  his  work.  His 
muscles  once  trained  to  go  through  a  certain 
series  of  movements  need  little  further  direction 
by  the  intelligence.  The  result  is,  that  if  a  new 
invention  renders  a  modern  machine  obsolete, 
a  disabling  accident  happens  to  the  laborer  him- 
self, or  any  other  shifting  of  circumstances  plucks 
him  out  of  his  position,  his  ability  to  earn  a  liveli- 
hood is  greatly  lessened.  So  while  it  is  now  pos- 
sible to  become  a  wage-earner  more  quickly  than 

361 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

in  the  earlier  days,  it  is  also  possible  to  lose  the 
job  with  even  greater  celerity,  and  the  latter 
event  occurs  so  often  that  society  is  continually 
called  upon  to  relieve  the  wants  of  the  unem- 
ployed. 

The  constant  sight  of  men  seeking  but  unable 
to  find  work  has  led  to  a  study  of  the  causes  of 
enforced  idleness  and  to  the  creation  of  such 
commissions  as  have  already  been  mentioned. 
Lack  of  early  industrial  training  is  found  to  be 
one  of  these  causes.  To  supply  this  need  people 
have  naturally  turned  to  the  schools,  and  today 
there  is  no  more  important  question  in  the  minds 
of  educators  than  how  to  prepare  their  pupils 
for  industrial  life.  The  day-school  systems  show 
an  increasing  number  of  attempts  to  meet  the 
situation  by  inserting  manual  training  into  the 
elementary  course,  by  establishing  technical  high 
schools  and  vocational  classes.  These  efforts,  how- 
ever, have  not  proved  adequate.  Manual  training 
has  little  standing  with  the  advocates  of  a  nar- 
row technical  education  and  is  coming  into  even 
worse  repute  with  those  of  academic  predisposi- 
tions who  see  in  it  an  additional  burden  to  an 
already  overloaded  elementary  curriculum.  The 
technical  high  school  is  of  small  avail  to  the  large 
number  of  young  people  who  are  early  driven  to 
work  by  family  necessity,  while  the  vocational 
direction  which  must  be  supplied  in  both  cases, 
if  energy  is  not  to  be  frittered  away  in  preparing 
children  for  unsuitable  occupations,  is  given  with 

362 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

difficulty  to  youths  whose  tastes  and  individual 
capacities  have  not  yet  distinctly  emerged. 

Evening  instruction,  on  the  other  hand,  is  not 
under  the  same  handicaps,  even  in  its  most  general 
forms.  The  imparting  of  knowledge  which  has 
only  a  cultural  value  to  persons  who  have  spent 
the  day  in  manual  toil  can  be  defended  on  purely 
practical  grounds.  There  are  no  vocational  re- 
sponsibilities because  the  pupil  has  either  already 
satisfactorily  settled  the  matter  of  occupation  or  is 
finding  in  the  night  school,  with  its  varied  courses, 
an  inexpensive  opportunity  to  prepare  himself 
for  a  kind  of  work  better  adapted  to  his  abilities. 
Instruction  which  actually  improves  the  skill  of 
the  workman  who  has  found  his  trade  not  only 
receives  the  unqualified  support  of  organized 
labor,  because  it  does  not  disturb  the  labor 
market,  but  has  a  proved  monetary  value  to  the 
recipient.  The  weekly  earnings  of  the  graduates 
of  the  Newark  Evening  Technical  School  have 
already  been  shown.*  A  letter  of  inquiry  sent 
to  about  one  hundred  recent  members  of  the 
Springfield  Evening  School  of  Trades  asking  if 
they  had  been  financially  benefited  by  the  class 
instruction  was  answered  by  eighty  men,  every 
one  of  whom  had  received  an  increase  of  wages 
as  the  result  of  his  attendance.  Six  had  been 
raised  $2  per  day,  five  $1.25,  while  the  average 
increase  for  all  was  no  inconsiderable  sum.f 

*  Chapter  II,  page  36.  f  Report  of  the  Massachusetts  Commis- 
sion on  Industrial  and  Technical  Education,  April,  1906.  Page  181. 

363 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

The  chief  factor  in  the  success  of  these  two 
schools  is  the  closeness  with  which  the  instruction 
is  fitted  to  the  actual  and  immediate  needs  of  the 
pupils.  The  attainment  of  this  adaptation,  ex- 
perience shows,  is  primarily  an  administrative 
matter,  and  is  accomplished  mainly  through  the 
formation  of  a  body  of  people  who  are  especially 
interested  in  the  success  of  one  particular  evening 
school,  or  system  of  schools.  Both  the  school 
board  and  the  superintendent  have  all  the  schools 
—elementary,  intermediate,  secondary  and  nor- 
mal— on  their  hands,  with  the  result  that  the  night 
schools  receive  only  the  margin  of  attention  left 
after  the  day  system  has  been  fully  provided  for. 
When  a  special  committee  on  evening  schools, 
however,  is  constituted  within  the  board,  a  body 
is  created  which  places  the  interests  of  these 
schools  first  and  which  can  justify  its  existence 
only  by  attending  to  them.  The  foreign  practice 
of  having  special  representatives  of  both  employers 
and  laborers  upon  the  advisory  committee,  for 
the  sake  of  their  advice  upon  the  subjects  of  in- 
struction and  the  selection  of  competent  teachers, 
will  undoubtedly  be  adopted  in  this  country  and 
the  classification  by  trades,  which  has  already 
begun,  will  be  carried  nearer  to  the  degree  it  has 
reached  in  Germany. 

The  social  and  physical  welfare  of  pupils  is 
also  receiving  attention,  and  the  time  seems  not 
far  distant  when  the  kitchens  and  lunch  rooms 
now  being  installed  in  high  schools  will  be  utilized 

364 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

to  furnish  meals  for  evening  students.  This  will 
save  the  time  now  lost  in  traveling  from  shop  to 
home,  changing  clothes  and  traveling  to  the  school. 
With  such  an  arrangement  it  will  be  possible  to 
introduce  recreative  features  into  the  evening 
program  and  by  having  the  pupils  sit  at  table 
with  the  instructor  an  atmosphere  resembling 
that  of  a  college  commons  may  be  created. 
Efforts  are  already  being  made  in  some  evening 
systems  to  help  the  pupils  find  positions,  and  the 
maintaining  of  an  employment  bureau  is  coming 
to  be  regarded  as  a  function  of  the  social  center. 
The  existing  night  schools  are  furnishing  thousands 
with  greater  skill  and  broader  knowledge,  but 
when  the  leavening  process  now  at  work  in  evening 
school  administration  shall  be  completed  the  spe- 
cific needs  of  the  unskilled  laborer  will  be  more 
fully  met. 

Another  result  which  has  followed  the  minute 
subdivision  of  labor  and  the  expansion  of  modern 
industry  might  be  termed  social  stratification. 
The  smash-up  of  the  old  trade  system  and  the 
herding  of  people  into  compact  groups  wherein 
every  one  does  precisely  the  same  kind  of  work, 
the  withdrawal  of  the  various  craftsmen  from  their 
connection  with  the  soil  which  had  put  them  all 
on  a  common  footing, — these  changes  have  tended 
to  break  up  the  old  social  solidarity. 

The  separation  of  society  into  sharply  defined 
parts  has  been  further  completed  by  in-pouring 
streams  from  alien  civilizations.  In  the  early 

365 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

days  we  were  content  to  produce  only  the  quantity 
of  goods  needed  for  ourselves.  But  with  the 
increased  facility  of  production  afforded  by  ma- 
chinery and  the  new-found  mines  of  coal  and 
iron  we  grew  ambitious  to  supply  the  whole 
world.  We  laid  out  more  work  than  we  had 
hands  to  do  and  the  resulting  opportunity  to 
labor  is  responsible  for  the  inundation  of  workers 
from  over  the  seas.  Within  the  past  ninety  years 
a  score  of  different  countries  have  sent  us  a  total 
of  over  twenty-six  millions  of  people,  and  today 
the  persons  of  foreign  parentage  among  us  form 
over  a  third  of  the  whole  population. 

Machinery  sliced  us  into  horizontal  layers, 
and  immigration,  by  cleaving  us  vertically,  has 
chopped  us  up  into  isolated  chunks.  It  has  added 
to  each  of  the  artisan  classes  an  element  that  by 
reason  of  its  strange  manner  of  living  and  foreign 
tongue  does  not  mix  with  the  rest  of  the  group. 
We  have  reached  a  state  wherein  there  are  not 
only  social  gulfs  between  the  merchant  and  the 
bricklayer,  but  also  fissures  running  up  and  down 
through  the  laboring  classes  which  separate  Gen- 
tile and  Jew,  Irishman  and  Italian,  Pole  and 
Portuguese,  even  though  they  work  side  by  side. 

One  of  the  most  unfortunate  effects  of  this 
disjunctive  condition  is  the  difficulty  experienced 
by  the  various  members  of  the  community  in 
seeing  in  their  proper  proportions,  facts  which 
are  of  vital  importance  to  the  whole  body.  If 
the  doctors  alone  see  the  threatening  plague  it 

366 


Improving  Their  Skill  After  Hours 


Learning  to  Make  Their  Own  Furniture 
IN  NEW  YORK  EVENING  SCHOOLS 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

will  be  very  difficult  to  secure  from  the  public 
at  large  that  united  action  necessary  to  prevent 
its  advance.  How  serious  this  evil  is,  becomes 
more  apparent  when  one  realizes  how  many 
things  it  is  necessary  nowadays  for  all  the  people 
to  know.  A  very  important  class  of  these  things 
is  composed  of  the  essential  facts  about  the 
government  and  the  persons  designated  to  carry 
it  on.  In  the  bygone  days  when  the  people  met 
in  the  town  hall  to  vote  on  public  questions, 
the  matter  was  comparatively  simple.  Every 
voter  knew  just  how  the  ordinances  were  made 
and  enforced,  how  the  taxes  were  collected  and 
for  what  they  were  disbursed;  and  he  generally 
had  first-hand  knowledge  of  the  qualifications 
of  those  neighbors  who  aspired  to  serve  him  in 
a  governmental  capacity.  When,  however,  the 
town  became  a  huge  city,  the  burdens  laid  upon 
the  local  government  were  greatly  multiplied. 
Besides  protecting  life  and  property  it  was  now 
called  upon  to  put  out  fires,  carry  away  rubbish, 
prevent  the  spread  of  disease,  supervise  amuse- 
ments, maintain  parks,  conduct  a  water  supply, 
administer  a  greatly  extended  system  of  educa- 
tion, and  perform  many  other  functions  never 
imagined  by  the  authorities  of  the  old  town 
system.  The  machinery  necessary  to  carry  on 
such  vast  activities  has  become  so  immense  and 
intricate  that  to  acquire  a  complete  knowledge 
of  it  in  some  of  our  larger  cities  would  consume 
the  better  part  of  a  man's  life.  With  the  need 

367 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

of  the  voter  to  know  so  much,  and  the  slow 
growth  of  a  public  opinion  which  would  restrain 
unscrupulous  politicians,  it  is  not  strange  that 
favoritism,  extravagance  and  inefficiency  should 
be  found  so  frequently  in  our  city  halls. 

For  the  removal  of  the  conditions  upon  which 
graft  government  rests  we  have  no  institution 
which  promises  greater  effectiveness  than  the 
public  school  in  its  enlarged  capacity.  Political 
gatherings,  especially  in  local  campaigns,  are  so 
frequently  held  in  low  places  that  respectable 
persons,  those  most  capable  of  intelligent  ac- 
tion, stay  away  and  leave  the  vicious  elements 
in  control.  "The  school  houses  are  the  real 
places  for  political  meetings,"  said  a  county 
committeeman  in  a  Rochester  social  center. 
"  I  do  not  mean  that  they  should  be  opened 
to  any  one  political  party,  but  to  all.  Why 
should  I  be  compelled  to  go  into  a  barroom 
to  address  a  political  meeting,  where  the  bar- 
tender is  using  me  to  advertise  his  beer?  Why 
should  I  be  compelled  to  go  into  smoke-filled 
rooms  to  talk  on  political  issues  when  we  have 
buildings  like  this,  where  those  things  can  be 
taken  up?"  And  there  has  never  been  a  time 
when  wide  and  thorough  discussion  of  public 
affairs  was  more  necessary  to  civic  welfare. 
The  direct  primary  plan,  upon  whose  potency 
for  reform  so  wise  a  statesman  as  Governor 
Hughes  has  laid  such  stress,  demands  more  par- 
ticipation in  political  activities  than  the  mass  of 

368 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

the  citizens  has  ever  given.  If  voters  are  to 
depend  less  upon  party  organizations  for  their 
electoral  thinking  then  there  must  be  an  agency 
through  which  they  will  be  brought  together, 
encouraged  to  try  out  their  facts  and  opinions 
in  debate,  and  be  fired  with  sufficient  patriotism 
to  take  them  to  the  voting  booth.  Governor 
Hughes  recognized  both  this  fact  and  what 
instrument  was  best  fitted  for  just  this  service 
when  he  said  to  the  Rochester  civic  clubs:  "  You 
are  buttressing  the  foundations  of  democracy." 
The  school-house  civic  club,  by  affording  a  neutral 
meeting  ground  for  citizens  and  officials,  becomes 
a  platform  for  the  discussion  of  municipal  affairs 
and  enables  the  constituents  to  become  better 
acquainted  with  their  public  servants.  The  city 
official  who  describes  the  work  of  his  depart- 
ment not  only  gives  pertinent  information  but 
deepens  in  his  own  conscience  the  sense  of  his 
accountability  to  the  people. 

Another  source  of  non-partisan  public  spirit 
and  impartial  civic  information,  as  well  as  gen- 
eral culture,  is  the  free  lecture.  Concerning  the 
appropriateness  of  using  school  houses  for  this 
purpose  Dr.  Poland  has  said:  "The  school 
building  is  the  common  forum  where  men  and 
women  of  all  social  and  intellectual  grades  meet 
on  a  level,  as  nowhere  else — certainly  not  in 
houses  of  worship,  since  there  they  are  necessarily 
divided  into  separate  and  distinct  communions. 
At  scarcely  another  place,  except  it  be  the  polling 
24  369 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

place,  can  men  of  all  classes  meet  on  a  common 
basis  of  citizenship;  and  even  at  the  polls  men 
are  usually  divided  into  hostile  camps.  Any- 
thing that  draws  men  together  on  a  common 
footing  of  rights,  powers,  duties  and  enjoyments 
is  a  great  social  and  moral  power  for  good  citizen- 
ship. Next  to  the  public  school,  which  tends  to 
obliterate  hereditary  and  acquired  social  and 
class  distinctions,  the  public  lecture  held  in  the 
public  school  house  and  paid  for  out  of  the  public 
purse  is  the  most  thoroughly  democratic  of  our 
public  institutions."* 

In  the  evening  classes  are  many  persons  who 
are  piecing  out  a  defective  education  through  the 
study  of  science,  art  and  literature,  thus  ac- 
quiring the  intellectual  ability  which  will  enable 
them  to  separate  men  from  measures.  From 
history  they  are  learning  how  institutions  grow 
and  getting  that  sense  of  perspective  without 
which  the  future  sometimes  seems  so  dark  and 
the  present  evils  so  unbearable  that  revolution 
and  anarchy  offer  the  only  alternatives.  An 
even  more  obvious  civic  service,  that  of  aiding 
in  the  assimilation  of  the  immigrant,  is  performed 
in  the  night  school  where  the  alien  is  taught  our 
tongue,  our  history  and  our  institutions.  The 
civic  club  and  the  use  of  the  school  building  as 
a  neighborhood  center  afford  also  other  means 
for  breaking  down  the  prejudices  which  bar  the 

*  Annual  Report  of  the  Newark  Board  of  Education  for  1907,  page 
177. 

370 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH   WIDER    USE 

foreigner  from  native  circles  and  make  him  a 
menace  in  our  politics.  The  way  this  public  hos- 
pitality works  was  told  by  a  prominent  member  of 
one  of  the  Rochester  Italian  civic  clubs.  "When 
you  meet  the  Italian  halfway,"  said  he,  "as  you 
do  in  the  social  center,  recognizing  that  he,  as 
an  Italian,  has  something  to  bring,  something  to 
contribute  to  the  common  store,  when  you  teach 
him  to  love  and  honor  the  American  flag  and  all 
that  it  stands  for  to  you,  by  showing  some  respect 
for  his  flag,  and  all  that  it  stands  for  to  him,  then 
you  make  him  feel  that  he  must  be  worthy  of  his 
larger  citizenship." 

Likewise  the  training  of  girls  after  class  hours 
in  the  folk  dances  of  Europe  furthersjace  amalga- 
mation. When  the  poor  peasant  first  sees  his 
daughters  dancing  the  steps  which  are  bound  up 
with  his  most  cherished  memories  of  the  father- 
land his  heart  is  filled  with  gratitude,  and  later, 
at  the  picnic  or  outdoor  festival  where  he  and  they 
trip  through  the  intricate  figures  of  his  national 
dance  before  an  applauding  American  multi- 
tude, he  realizes  that  he  is  transformed  from  an 
object  of  disdain  to  one  of  interest,  his  equanimity 
breaks  down,  and  his  feelings  overflow.  After 
that  he  "belongs"  to  America,  too. 

How  easily  the  ordinary  public  school  plant  be- 
comes the  focussing  point  for  the  social  activities  of 
the  neighborhood  has  been  shown  in  the  descrip- 
tion of  the  Rochester  Social  Center  Number  Nine. 
Besides  being  a  day,  evening  and  vacation  school, 

37* 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  serving  as  a  public  clubhouse  for  men, 
women,  boys  and  girls,  the  building  is  used  as  a 
moving  picture  theatre,  a  lecture  hall,  a  gym- 
nasium, a  bathhouse,  a  dance  hall,  a  library  and  a 
playground  house.  A  free  dental  clinic  is  to  be 
established  in  it  and  it  has  already  become  a 
public  health  office.  Its  yard  is  used  as  a  play- 
ground, an  athletic  field  and  a  school  garden; 
with  a  little  more  ground  for  a  park  the  whole 
plant  would  come  close  to  a  realization  of  the 
ideal  social  center.  Is  there  any  other  American 
institution  that  so  naturally  attracts  to  itself 
all  the  varied  interests  of  the  community?  The 
standard  for  elementary  school  construction  now 
being  adopted  in  the  leading  cities  calls  for  a 
gymnasium,  baths,  reading  rooms,  a  kitchen,  a 
workshop  and  an  assembly  hall.  Once  these 
facilities  have  become  general  in  school  buildings 
it  is  inconceivable  that  communities  will  allow 
them  to  remain  idle  after  day  classes  are  over. 
Then  neighborhood  and  civic  centers  will  be  found 
on  every  hand,  and  our  community  life  will  be 
cemented  into  a  social  whole.  A  more  intelligent 
and  penetrating  civic  mind  will  make  it  more 
difficult  for  graft  to  fasten  upon  the  municipal 
body. 

The  substitution  of  machinery  for  hands,  the 
removal  of  industry  from  the  household  to  the 
factory,  is  mainly  responsible,  as  has  been  pointed 
out,  for  that  widespread  movement  of  the  people 
which  has  gathered  them  in  from  the  open  coun- 

372 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

try  and  huddled  them  up  in  the  close  city.  This 
congestion  of  human  beings  in  the  arteries  of 
commerce  has  become  greatest  in  the  region 
between  Maine  and  Pennsylvania.  In  1900  it 
was  ascertained  that  in  this  section  sixty-five  out 
of  every  hundred  persons  were  trying  to  exist, 
labor,  and  go  through  the  daily  round  of  life  in 
the  midst  of  communities  the  smallest  of  which 
numbered  4000  and  the  largest  3,500,000.  As 
the  human  density  increased,  the  waste  which 
nature  used  to  absorb  so  quietly  and  inoffensively 
began  to  turn  into  a  source  of  pestilence.  The 
germs  of  disease  found,  in  the  distributors  of  the 
city's  food,  new  channels  by  which  they  traveled 
more  freely  than  ever,  leaving  typhoid  and  tu- 
berculosis in  their  trail.  In  short,  the  physical 
environment  changed  more  rapidly  than  mankind 
and  the  result  was  pain  and  sickness. 

But  the  city  disease  evil  is  already  giving  way 
before  the  purifying  forces  of  scientific  sanitation 
and  preventive  measures.  The  public  school,  now 
enlisted  in  the  campaign,  has  done  much  toward 
this  end.  It  has  added  hygiene  and  physical 
training  to  its  day  curriculum  and  put  gymnasiums 
and  shower  baths  into  its  buildings.  Skilled 
medical  inspectors  and  trained  nurses  are  caring 
for  the  bodily  ills  of  its  pupils.  It  is  beginning 
to  remove  the  walls  of  its  class  rooms  and  to  teach 
the  tuberculous  in  the  open  air.  But  in  the 
extended  character  of  its  work  there  is  much 
additional  assistance  that  it  can,  and  does,  give. 

373 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

The  school-house  roof,  when  flat,  makes  an  ex- 
cellent place  for  open-air  classes,  while  in  the  yard, 
gymnasium,  and  class  room  can  be  organized 
after  school,  Saturdays,  and  in  vacation  time  the 
sports,  games  and  dances  which  build  up  the 
body  and  enable  it  to  resist  disease.  In  the 
summer  school,  children  are  taught  hygienic 
cooking  and  the  first  care  of  the  wounded.  The 
playgrounds  are  used  as  day  nurseries  and  furnish 
space  for  the  distribution  of  pure  milk  for  infants 
and  health  talks  for  their  mothers.  Through 
public  lectures,  social  centers,  and  meetings  of 
the  parent-teacher  associations  a  constant  stream 
of  information  and  advice  on  hygiene  is  pouring 
out  upon  city  populations  and  making  them  wiser 
and  more  wholesome  in  their  living.  But  the  most 
important  effect  of  this  adult  education  is  the 
paving  of  the  way  for  city  planning,  the  movement 
that  aims  to  prevent  the  congestion  which  is 
responsible  for  the  urban  disease  problem. 

Very  closely  related  to  this  subject  and  caused 
by  the  change  in  the  mode  of  living,  is  another 
mal-adjustment  that  is  irritating  the  nerves  of 
society.  In  the  days  when  the  family  lived  in  the 
country  the  children  were  able  to  stretch  their 
limbs  and  expand  their  chests  by  roaming  the  hills 
and  pastures.  The  attic  and  the  barn  allowed 
them  plenty  of  room  for  that  rehearsal  of  the  roles 
of  grown-up  life  which  we  used  uncomprehendingly 
to  call  mere  play.  But  play  finds  small  oppor- 
tunity in  rubbish-cluttered  alleys  and  the  diminu- 

374 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

tive  areas  which  surround  the  city  tenement.  If 
boys  attempt  in  our  streets  even  a  weak  imitation 
of  the  freedom  enjoyed  in  the  farmer  days,  we 
arrest  them  and  deprive  them  of  their  liberty. 
But  exercise  of  body  and  discipline  of  mind  and 
temper  which  come  from  play  and  competitive 
games  are  necessary  to  the  development  of  strong 
men  and  robust  women.  An  organism  whose 
growth  has  long  been  dependent  upon  certain 
activities  cannot  suddenly  be  transplanted  into 
an  environment  which  cramps,  perverts  and  some- 
times entirely  prohibits  them,  without  exhibiting 
symptoms  of  derangement.  It  is  really  a  question 
of  an  outlet  for  physical  energy,  but  we  have 
branded  it  juvenile  delinquency. 

But  whether  or  not  it  is  a  matter  of  morals,  the 
evil  can  best  be  cured  by  removing  the  conditions 
which  have  produced  it,  and  here  again  the  further 
use  of  school  property  is  of  great  service.  In 
school  yard  and  basement  where  horizontal  bars, 
flying  rings,  jumping  standards,  potato  races, 
basket  ball,  folk  dances  and  organized  games  are 
now  available  on  Saturdays  and  vacation  days, 
the  modern  school  house  is  restoring  to  American 
boys  and  girls  that  opportunity  for  play  and  fun 
which  their  healthful  growth  demands  and  which 
urban  life  has  come  so  near  to  taking  away. 
Winter  recreation  is  being  provided  through  a 
fuller  use  of  the  gymnasiums,  assembly  halls  and 
class  rooms.  Young  men  and  women  after  a  hard 
day  at  the  desk  or  counter  are  finding  diversion 

375 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

and  recreation  through  the  long  December  eve- 
nings in  the  nearby  social  center. 

Another  difficulty  incidental  to  rearing  children 
in  a  city  is  the  lack  of  means  for  training  them  in 
practical  affairs.  The  sons  and  daughters  who 
still  live  in  the  country  are  partners  in  the  indus- 
tries of  the  house  and  farm.  They  not  only  play 
at  the  pursuits  of  adults,  but  they  practice  them. 
In  fetching  the  water  and  wood,  in  sweeping, 
washing  and  sewing,  in  caring  for  cattle,  in  plant- 
ing and  harvesting,  and  in  doing  the  multitude  of 
other  tasks,  boys  and  girls  receive  a  training  that 
strengthens  the  fibres  of  the  will  as  well  as  those  of 
the  limbs.  Country  life  is  a  preparatory  school 
of  applied  common  sense  so  carefully  graded  and 
fitted  to  budding  powers  that  it  seldom  blights 
them,  and  so  thoroughly  practical  that  old  age 
rarely  finds  its  graduates  in  the  almshouse. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  home  life  of  a  large  part 
of  our  city  children  affords  no  such  training.  All 
our  activities  seem  specially  designed  to  prevent 
the  growing  boy  from  "butting  in."  When  we 
do  try  to  let  him  into  a  bit  of  real  life  we  have  to 
rig  it  up  under  such  palpably  artificial  conditions 
that  he  quickly  detects  the  sham  and  loses  his 
interest  in  it.  We  have  few  miniature  enterprises 
at  which  he  can  acquire  habits  of  thrift  and  develop 
the  sense  of  values. 

To  meet  this  educational  shortcoming  the  day 
school  has  established  shops,  kitchens  and  sewing 
rooms.  But  this  equipment  is  expensive  and  the 

376 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

community's  sense  of  economy  would  be  disturbed 
if  it  were  used  only  during  day-school  hours.  Con- 
sequently there  is  a  growing  number  of  cities  where 
one  finds  in  the  evening  and  vacation  schools  boys 
who  are  busying  their  hands  with  wood  and  bent 
iron,  with  saw  and  pliers,  with  chair-seats  and 
candlesticks,  and  getting  that  ability  to  plan,  to 
judge,  to  execute,  to  create,  to  become  useful, 
which  has  so  little  chance  to  develop  in  the  tene- 
ment backyard.  Here  also  girls  are  learning  to 
sew,  use  the  gas  range,  prepare  food,  fit  garments, 
and  acquire  the  rudiments  of  occupations  which 
will  increase  their  usefulness  whether  they  become 
housewives  or  wage-earners.  They  are  getting 
that  important  training  in  everyday  things  which 
does  not  come  naturally  in  the  home  life  of  city 
girls. 

The  practical  education  of  pupils  is  also  fur- 
thered by  allowing  them  to  conduct  school  savings 
banks,  glee  clubs,  entertainments,  and  the  score  of 
other  student  activities  now  so  common  in  high  and 
grammar  schools.  Of  these  none  is  so  effective 
for  developing  the  virtues  of  fairness  and  honesty 
as  the  participation  in,  and  management  of 
athletic  meets;  and  the  ability  to  do  "  team-work" 
which  is  fostered  by  organized  sports  is  needed 
by  the  country  boy  even  more  than  by  his  urban 
brother.  On  the  home  side  of  the  problem  much 
is  being  done  through  the  education  of  the  fathers 
and  mothers  in  the  parent-teacher  associations. 

Extraordinary  as  the  changes  in  our  modes  of 
377 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

living  and  working  have  been,  they  are  no  more 
remarkable  than  the  development  which  has 
occurred  in  the  school  plant.  The  single-roomed, 
shingle-roofed  school  house  of  the  olden  time,  with 
its  cylindrical  stove,  wooden  benches  and  un- 
manageable windows  has  grown  into  a  many- 


Day  School  Possible 

Use  (39%)  Use  (100%) 

Diagram  representing  the  ratio  between  the  extent  day  classes 
use  a  modern  elementary  school  building  and  the  utilization  that 
is  physically  possible  (i.e.,  during  10  hours  daily  for  313  days  of  the 
year). 

storied  building  of  brick  and  stone  with  a  boiler, 
an  engine  and  a  dynamo  in  the  basement.  Light 
comes  into  it  without  glare  and  pure  air  without 
drafts.  Its  walls  are  hung  with  the  contributions 
of  a  generous  art,  while  its  facades  are  fashioned 

378 


Constructive  Plav  in  the  School  Yard 


Promoting  Domestic  Happiness 
BUFFALO  VACATION  SCHOOLS 


SOCIAL    BETTERMENT   THROUGH    WIDER    USE 

by  a  discriminating  architectural  taste.  The 
single,  often  ignorant  teacher  who  ruled  the  little 
red  school  house  has  been  succeeded  by  a  corps 
of  men  and  women,  each  trained  for  a  special  task 
and  all  directed  by  a  chief  who  sits  in  a  central 
office  equipped  with  telephones,  electric  program 
clocks  and  typewriters,  and  transmits  his  orders 
through  a  star?  of  assistants. 

Along  with  the  tremendous  increase  in  the  cost 
of  school  property  occasioned  by  such  a  growth, 
a  strong  sentiment  has  arisen  which  demands  that 
it  be  fully  and  economically  used.  This  feeling 
was  forcibly  expressed  by  Superintendent  Maxwell, 
than  whom  no  American  school  official  has  worked 
more  effectively  for  its  realization,  in  his  annual 
report  for  1904: 

"The  central  facts  to  be  considered  in  any 
discussion  of  this  subject  are  that  the  Board  of 
Education  is  trustee  of  real  property — school  sites 
and  buildings — to  the  amount  of  about  sixty 
millions  of  dollars,  alF  of  which  belongs  to  the 
people,  and  that  this  vast  property  is  in  use  only 
about  one-third  of  the  waking  hours.  In  this 
city,  where  there  are  hundreds  of  thousands  of 
foreigners  to  be  converted  into  American  citizens, 
where  hundreds  of  thousands  of  children  are  with- 
out space  indoors  or  outdoors  in  which  to  play, 
this  vast  property  ought  to  be  utilized  at  all 
reasonable  hours  for  the  recreation  and  improve- 
ment of  the  people.  .  .  As  President  Eliot  has 
pointed  out,  there  can  be  no  waste  of  money  in 

379 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

public  school  administration  comparable  to  the 

waste  involved  in  permitting  millions  of  dollars 

worth  of  property  to  remain  unutilized  except 
during  the  hours  when  school  is  kept." 


380 


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APPENDICES 


APPENDIX  A 

LOCAL  LECTURE  SOURCES 

THE  following  list  sets  forth  the  possible  sources 
of  lectures  and  lecturers  which  are  to  be  found 
in  the  average  American  community.     In  the 
ranks  of  the  professional  men  and  among  the  officials 
of  the  societies  and  organizations  named  below  should 
be  many  speakers  whose  services  could  be  obtained 
whenever  the  public  has  need  of  them.    Often  speakers 
will  gladly  give  their  addresses  free  in  behalf  of  public 
education. 

After  each  name  follow  one  or  more  topics,  most  of 
which  have  actually  been  discussed  upon  lecture  plat- 
forms in  various  places.  The  list  is  not  complete,  but 
if  it  is  found  suggestive  it  will  have  served  its  purpose. 

NATIONAL  OFFICIALS 
MEMBER  OF  CONGRESS 
Prominent  Men  in  the  National  Legislature 

LOCAL  FORECASTER  OF  WEATHER  BUREAU 
Uncle  Sam  as  a  Weather  Prophet 
The  Story  of  the  Air 
Effects  of  Weather  on  Mind  and  Body 
The  Causes  of  Stormy  Weather 

RECRUITING  OFFICER 

The  Opportunity  to  Acquire  a  Trade  in  the  Army 
The  Educational  Advantages  of  Army  Life 
25  385 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

STATE  OFFICIALS 
JUSTICE  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT 

Naturalization:  its  Privileges  and  Obligations 

Habit  Makes  the  Boy 

The  Square  Deal  for  the  Child 

SENATOR 

How  the  Upper  House  Differs  from  the  Lower  House 
Federal,  State,  County  and  Municipal  Government 

MUNICIPAL  OFFICIALS 
MAYOR 

The  Making  of  a  Citizen 
Why  There  are  Politicians 

ENGINEER 
The  Smoke  Question 

HEALTH  DEPARTMENT  HEAD 
City  Milk 
Why  Have  Typhoid 

BACTERIOLOGIST 
Germs  and  Sickness  „ 

La  Grippe,  Pneumonia  and  Diphtheria 
Recent  Progress  in  Warfare  against  Microbes 
Lockjaw,  Malarial  Fever  and  Hydrophobia 

PARK  COMMISSION  HEAD 
How  to  Use  a  Park 
How  to  Plant  and  Care  for  Shade  Trees 

WATER  DEPARTMENT  HEAD 
Value  of  Pure  Water  to  a  Community 
Our  Water  Supply 

FIRE  DEPARTMENT  CHIEF 
How  the  Fire  Insurance  Rate  Was  Lowered 


LOCAL  LECTURE  SOURCES 

CHIEF  OF  POLICE 

Preventing  Crime  Cheaper  than  Catching  Criminals 

SCHOOL  DEPARTMENT 
SUPERINTENDENT 

How  the  Board  of  Education  Spends  Your  Money 
The  Cash  Value  of  a  High  School  Training 

TEACHER  OF  CHEMISTRY 
Explosives 
The  Chemistry  of  Fuels 

TEACHER  OF  Music 
Life  Forces  in  Music 

"Carmen,"   illustrated  by  Piano  Selections  and  Talking 
Machine 

TEACHER  OF  PHYSICS 
The  Latest  Developments  in  Electricity 

TEACHER  OF  ZOOLOGY 

Insects  and  the  Nation's  Property 
Our  Small  Neighbors 
Our  Friends  of  the  Sea 

PRINCIPAL  OF  GRAMMAR  SCHOOL 
How  the  Parent  and  Teacher  Can  Co-operate 
How  Children  May  Learn  to  Use  Money 

SCHOOL  PHYSICIAN 
Care  of  the  Skin:  Bathing  and  Clothing 
Health  More  Important  Than  Education 
Common  Physical  Defects  and  How  to  Cure  Them 
Medical  Inspection  of  School  Children 
What  to  do  in  Accidents  and  Emergencies 

GRADE  TEACHER 

What  the  Teacher  May  Expect  from  the  Parent 
To  Every  Girl  Her  Chance 

387 


WIDER    USE   OF   THE    SCHOOL    PLANT 

COLLEGE  AND  UNIVERSITY  PROFESSORS 
ASTRONOMY 

Some  of  the  Recent  Developments  in  Astronomy 
Eclipses  of  the  Sun 
Is  Mars  Inhabited? 

ECONOMICS 

Trade  Unions  and  the  Labor  Problem 
Morals  and  Competition 
The  Industrial  Corporation 

ENGLISH  LITERATURE 
The  Great  English  Novelists 
The  Spirit  of  Tennyson 

PEDAGOGY 

Does  a  Child  need  Discipline  or  Sympathy 
Character  in  the  School  Room 
The  Fine  Art  of  Making  a  Child  Bad 

POLITICAL  SCIENCE 
The  Problem  of  the  Ballot 
The  Building  of  a  Citizen 

SOCIOLOGY 

Facts  About  Lynching 

What  is  the  Labor  Problem 

How  the  Other  Half  Lives  in  England 

MISCELLANEOUS 
BOARD  OF  TRADE  SECRETARY 

Some  Things  that  Every  Citizen  Ought  to  Know  About 
Our  City 

BUSINESS  MAN  OF  PROMINENCE 
The  Boy  in  Business  and  Some  Things  He  Ought  to  Know 

CAMERA  CLUB 
Picturesque  Points  in  Our  City 


LOCAL    LECTURE    SOURCES 

CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  SECRETARY 
The  Industries  of  Our  City 

CHARITY  ORGANIZATION  SOCIETY 

How  We  Should  Treat  Beggars 
CLERGYMAN 

Give  the  Boy  Another  Chance 

What  is  a  Man  Worth 

How  Boys  Become  Men 

Morals  and  Peace 

Respect  for  Authority  in  the  Home  and  School 

The  Mistakes  of  a  Father  I  Knew 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 
The  Spirit  of  Our  National  Holidays 
Miles  Standish  (a  Reading) 
The  Flag 
Independence  Day  Possibilities 

DENTAL  SOCIETY 
How  to  Care  for  the  Teeth 

EDITOR  OF  NEWSPAPER 
Publicity  and  Public  Affairs 
The  Making  of  a  Newspaper 

ELECTRIC  LIGHT  AND  POWER  COMPANY  ENGINEER 
Some  Common  Applications  of  Electricity  to  Every-Day 
Life 

ELOCUTIONIST 

Readings 
FOREIGN  SOCIETY  PRESIDENT 

The  European  Home  of  My  Race 

Why  We  Left  the  Old  Country 

GOOD  GOVERNMENT  CLUB  SECRETARY 
City  Government  by  Commission 
The  Duty  of  a  Citizen  to  the  City 
Why  We  are  Proud  of  Our  City 
389 


WIDER  USE  OF  THE  SCHOOL  PLANT 

GREENHOUSE  MAN  OF  PROMINENCE 
Practical  Suggestions  for  Home  Gardening 
Gardening  as  a  Prevention  and  Cure  for  Disease 

HISTORICAL  SOCIETY 

A  Study  in  the  Early  History  of  Our  Country 
Yesterdays  in  Our  City 

HOSPITAL  STAFF 
Milk  and  the  Child 
First  Aid  to  the  Injured 
The  Care  and  Feeding  of  Babies 
How  to  Save  Summer  Babies 

LABOR  UNIONIST 
Morals  and  Unions 

LANDSCAPE  ARCHITECT 
Gardening  in  Relation  to  Civic  Beauty 
The  Economic  Significance  of  Gardening 

LAWYER 
Why  the  Lawyer  Cannot  Lie 

LIBRARIAN 
How  the  Library  can  Benefit  the  Child 

MANUFACTURER  OF  PROMINENCE 
The  Habit  of  Being  on  Time 
Why  We  Have  a  Time  Register  in  Our  Oifice 
Morals  and  the  Factory 

MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION 
The  Fight  Against  Tuberculosis 
The  Prevention  of  Communicable  Diseases 

NATURAL  HISTORY  SOCIETY 
Our  Native  Song  Birds 
Fangs,  Fins  and  Stings 
An  Evening  in  Birdland 

390 


LOCAL    LECTURE    SOURCES 

OCULIST 
The  Care  of  the  Eyes 

PHYSICIAN  OF  DISTINCTION 
Some  Causes  of  Nervous  Disorders 
How  Tuberculosis  Patients  May  be  Helped  at  Home 

PLAYGROUND  ASSOCIATION 
A  Safe  and  Sane  Fourth  of  July 
The  Relation  of  Play  to  Citizenship 
Children's  Idle  Hours 
Illustrated  Playground  Talk 

SAVINGS  BANK  CASHIER 
The  Habit  of  Saving 

Savings  Banks;    What  They  Do  for  the  People  and  How 
They  Do  It 

SOCIAL  SETTLEMENT 

Child  Labor 

The  Problem  of  the  Girl 

The  Neighborhood:  the  Beginning  of  Patriotism 

The  Coming  People:  Immigrants,  Past  and  Present 
j^  The  Need  of  Wholesome  Pleasures  for  Children 

SOCIETY  FOR  THE  PREVENTION  OF  CRUELTY  TO  CHIL- 
DREN 
When  it  is  Proper  to  Remove  the  Child  from  its  Parents 

STANDARD  OIL  EMPLOYE 
The  Origin  and  Development  of  the  Petroleum  Industry 

Y/M.  C.  A.  SECRETARY 
Give  the  Boy  another  Chance 
An  All  Round  Man 
The  Boy  and  his  Vocation 

Y.  W.  C  A.  SECRETARY 
Why  Girls  Should  Have  a  Vocation 
Healthful,  Practicable  Vacations  for  Working  Girls 


APPENDIX  B 

REGULATIONS  COVERING  THE  USE  OF  SCHOOL  BUILD- 
INGS ADOPTED  BY  THE  ROCHESTER  BOARD  OF 
EDUCATION 

Adult  Civic  Clubs :  Upon  application  to  the  Board  of 
Education  any  public  school  building  may  be  used  as  a 
meeting  place  for  non-exclusive  adult  organizations 
whose  object  is  approved  by  the  Board  of  Education. 

Boys'  and  Girls'  Clubs:  Upon  the  written  applica- 
tion to  the  Board  of  Education  of  fifty  adult  citizens 
of  any  school  district,  any  public  school  building  may 
be  used  at  such  times  as  the  public  day  or  evening 
schools  are  not  in  session,  as  a  meeting  place  for  or- 
ganizations of  young  men  or  young  women,  boys  or 
girls  above  the  age  of  fourteen  years,  who  are  not  in 
attendance  upon  any  day  school;  and  with  the  use  of 
the  school  buildings  the  services  of  a  responsible  director 
shall  be  provided. 

The  use  of  the  school  buildings  for  this  purpose  and 
the  services  of  the  club  director  shall  be  withdrawn  if 
during  any  two  consecutive  months  the  average  attend- 
ance falls  below  twenty-five. 

Gymnasiums:  The  use  of  a  gymnasium  where  prac- 
ticable and  the  services  of  a  physical  instructor  may  be 
provided  upon  the  request  of  any  club  whenever  the 
average  club  attendance  during  the  preceding  month 
shall  be  at  least  thirty-five. 

The  use  of  the  gymnasium  and  the  services  of  the 
392 


LOCAL    LECTURE    SOURCES 

physical  instructor  shall  be  withdrawn  whenever  the 
average  gymnasium  attendance  during  two  consecutive 
months  falls  below  twenty-five. 

Library:  The  use  of  a  library  or  reading  room  and 
the  services  of  a  librarian  may  be  provided  upon  request 
of  the  clubs  whenever  the  average  weekly  attendance 
in  the  club's  meeting  in  the  school  building  during  any 
two  months  shall  aggregate  at  least  fifty. 

The  use  of  the  library  or  reading  room  and  the  ser- 
vices of  a  librarian  shall  be  withdrawn  whenever  the 
average  attendance  in  the  library  or  reading  room 
during  any  two  consecutive  months  falls  below  twenty- 
five  or  whenever  the  average  number  of  books  drawn 
falls  below  fifteen. 

General  neighborhood  meetings  for  lectures  or  enter- 
tainments may  be  permitted  upon  the  request  of  the 
clubs  meeting  in  any  public  school  building  whenever, 
during  any  two  consecutive  months,  the  average 
weekly  attendance  aggregates  at  least  100. 

The  "general  neighborhood-evenings"  shall  be  dis- 
continued when  their  average  attendance  during  any 
two  consecutive  months  falls  below  100. 


393 


INDEX 


INDEX 


ACCIDENTS  TO  CHILDREN,  176 

"ACQUAINTANCE"  THE  KEY- 
NOTE, 272 

ADAMS,  HERBERT  B.,  214 
ADDAMS,  JANE,  272 

ADULTS  IN  ELEMENTARY  EVE- 
NING SCHOOLS,  30 

ADVERTISING  EVENING  SCHOOLS, 
81,  82,  83 

AGRICULTURAL  EDUCATION  SER- 
VICE, 2H 

AGRICULTURE,  360 

ALBERT  STREET  SCHOOL,  NOT- 
TINGHAM, ENG.,  57-59 

ALCOTT  CLUB,  N.  Y.,  229 

ALLEGHENY  (CITY),  PA.,  VACA- 
TION SCHOOLS,  137 

AMATEUR  ATHLETIC  UNION  OF 
THE  U.  S.,  310 

AMERICAN  FEDERATION  OF  LA- 
BOR, 95,  96,  98 

AMERICAN  PHYSICAL  EDUCATION 
ASSOCIATION,  331 

AMERICAN,  SADIE,  145 

AMERICAN  SPORTS  PUBLISHING 
Co.,  324 

AMERICANIZATION  OF  FOREIGN- 
ERS, 50,  176,  177,  277,  370, 
371.  See  also  Immigrants; 
Foreigners 

ANDREWS,  FANNIE  FERN,  355 


APPARATUS  FOR  PLAYGROUNDS, 
163-165 

APPRENTICES  IN  MUNICH,  66 
APPRENTICESHIP,  93, 94, 359, 381 

ART  EXHIBITION,  ROCHESTER, 
N.  Y.,  265,  266 

ASSEMBLY  HALLS,  267,  268,  284, 
353;  Rochester  School  Num- 
ber Nine,  251 

ASSOCIATED  STUDENT  BODY,  349 

ASSOCIATION  FOR  IMPROVING 
THE  CONDITION  OF  THE 
POOR,  NEW  YORK  CITY, 
i34 

ASSOCIATION  PHILOTECHNIQUE 
FRANCE,  77 

ASSOCIATION  POLYTECHNIQUE, 
FRANCE,  77 

ATHLETICS,  161;  Value  of,  234, 
235;  Class,  description,  291- 
294 

ATHLETICS,  ORGANIZED:  Author- 
ities, 331;  Baltimore,  Md., 
327;  Bronx  school,  291- 
294;  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  326, 
327;  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  3 25- 
327;  Cleveland,  Ohio,  324; 
Courtesy,  307;  Effect  on 
school,  330;  Folk-dancing, 
3*3-319;  Newark,  N.  J., 
324-329;  New  Orleans,  La., 
324;  New  York  City,  294- 
313;  Pensacola,  Fla.,  329, 
330;  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  326; 


397 


INDEX 


Rural,  327-328;  Schenec- 
tady,N.Y.,326,328;  Seat- 
tle, Wash.,  326;  Tacoma, 
Wash.,  327;  Troy,  N.  Y., 
324-326;  Ulster  County,  N. 
Y.,  328.  See  also  Public 
Schools  Athletic  League; 
Girls'  Branch 

ATTENDANCE  AT  EVENING 
SCHOOLS.  See  Evening 
School  Attendance 

AUBURN,  N.  Y.:  Admission  of 
pupils  to  evening  schools,  43 ; 
Board  of  Estimate  and  Con- 
trol, 344;  Common  Coun- 
cil, 344;  Evening  school  at- 
tendance, no;  Men's  Feder- 
ation, 344 ;  Methods  of  pro- 
moting attendance  at  eve- 
ning schools,  85,  86;  Parent- 
Teachers  Clubs,  343;  Play- 
ground organization,  168 

AVERY,  MRS.  ELROY  M.,  188 

BADGES,  ATHLETIC,  296-298 
BAKER,  RAY  STANNARD,  288 
BALLOON  GOAL,  323 

BALTIMORE,  MD. :  Athletics,  327; 
Children's  Playground  Asso- 
ciation, 169;  Moral  Educa- 
tion Board,  208,  209;  Play- 
ground instructors,  166; 
Playground  organization, 
169;  Public  Athletic  League, 
327;  Public  Schools  Athletic 
League,  331 

BANCROFT,  JESSIE  H.,  183,  323, 

33i 

BANDS,  SCHOOL,  306 
B ARBOUR,  REV.  C.  A.,  256 
BARN  DANCE,  330 
BARNES,  EARL,  256 

BAR-ROOMS  FOR  POLITICAL 
MEETINGS,  368 


BARTLETT,  T.,  51 
BASEBALL,  305 
BASKET  BALL,  221,  223,  226 
BATHS,  157,  165,  373 

BATH  STREET  SCHOOL,  NOTTING- 
HAM, ENG.,  55,  56 

BERLIN,  GER.,  78 

BERMONDSEY,     LONDON,    ENG., 

244 

BETTERMENT,  SOCIAL,  THROUGH 
WIDER  USE,  359-380; 
Chart,  381 

BIBLIOGRAPHY.  See  Authorities 
under  titles 

BISHOP,  E.  C.,  331 
BLEKING  DANCE,  153 

BOARDS  OF  EDUCATION,  LEC- 
TURES, 198,  199.  See  also 
New  York  City 

BOOKS  OF  REFERENCE.  See 
Authorities  under  titles 

BOOTLE,  ENG.,  78;  Employers' 
co-operation  in  evening 
school  attendance,  89,  90 

BOSTON,  MASS.  :  Chapman 
School  Parents'  League,  342 ; 
Civic  instruction  for  immi- 
grants, 14;  Educational  cen- 
ters, 284;  Employers'  co- 
operation in  evening  school 
attendance,  89 ;  Evening 
school  administration,  39; 
Evening  school  instruction, 
practical  nature  of,  98,  99; 
First  Church  vacation  school, 
134;  Francis  Parkman  dis- 
trict, 342;  Free  public  lec- 
tures, 214;  Home  and  School 
Association,  15,  214,  284, 
288,  341,  342,  355;  Lectures 
arranged  by  Home  and 
School  Association,  198; 
Lectures  of  the  School 


398 


INDEX 


Board,  199;  Playground  or- 
ganization, 170,  171;  Play- 
grounds, 159;  Salesmanship 
classes,  34;  School  com- 
mittee, 343;  Social  center 
development,  283,  284;  So- 
cial Union,  343;  Vacation 
schools,  127;  Women's  Mu- 
nicipal League,  343 

"BOSTON — 1915"     MOVEMENT, 

210,  343 
BOYS'  CLUBS,  238,  262-264 

BRADFORD,  ENG.:  Recreation 
center,  245 

BRANCH  BROOK  PARK,  NEWARK, 
N.  J.,  163 

BRESLAU,  GERMANY,  78 

BROCKTON,  MASS.:  Evening 
schools,  34,  35;  Instruction 
in  evening  schools  made 
practical,  98;  Vacation 
schools,  140 

BRONX  PUBLIC  SCHOOL:  Jump- 
ing, 292-294 

BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.:  Erasmus 
Hall,  350;  Wyckoff  Heights 
Taxpayers'  Association,  348, 
3Si 

BRUMBAUGH,  MARTIN  G.,  31, 
50;  Quoted  on  benefit  of 
play,  178 

BUFFALO,  N.  Y.:  Athletics,  326, 
327;  Civics  in  evening 
schools,  33;  Convention 
Hall,  239;  Elementary  eve- 
ning schools,  29,  30;  Em- 
ployers' co-operation  in  eve- 
ning school  attendance,  89; 
Evening  recreation  center, 
239;  Location  of  play- 
grounds, 181;  Methods  of 
promoting  attendance  at 
evening  schools,  85;  Music  | 
in  evening  schools,  87;  Play  ; 


at  regular  school  recess,  179; 
Playgrounds,  162;  Play- 
ground supervisors,  166; 
Practical  subjects  taught  in 
evening  schools,  98;  Public 
Schools  Athletic  League, 
331;  Report  of  superinten- 
dent of  education,  1907-8, 
101;  School,  29,  239;  School 
baths,  165;  Swimming,  159; 
Teachers  in  evening  schools, 
appointment  of,  41;  Tech- 
nical Night  High  School,  26, 
41;  Vacation  instruction, 
124;  Vacation  schools,  cost 
of,  132;  Vacation  school 
manual  training,  141 

BURCHENAL,   ELIZABETH,   318, 
319,  331 

BURNS,  ALLAN   T.:    Quoted  on 
Playgrounds,  175 

BUTTERFIELD,  K.  L.,  355 
BUTTONS,  PLAYGROUND,  167,  168 


CALDWELL,  JUDGE:  Quoted  as 
to  Benefits  of  Playgrounds, 
176 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS.:  Anti-Cig- 
arette League,  348 ;  Elemen- 
tary evening  schools,  30; 
Evening  industrial  schools, 
27;  Evening  school  admin- 
istration, 39;  Cost  of  eve- 
ning schools,  43,48;  Histor- 
ical Society,  348;  Play- 
ground effects,  178;  Play- 
ground program,  160;  Va- 
cation schools,  122;  Cost 
of  vacation  schools,  132, 133 

CARE  OF  CHILDREN,  210 
CARROUSEL  DANCE,  322 
CENTERS.  See  Social  Centers 

CHAMPIONSHIP  MEETINGS,  301- 
306 


399 


INDEX 


CHEMISTRY  IN  THE  STUYVESANT 
HIGH  SCHOOL  (EVENING), 

20,   21 

CHICAGO:  Associated  Charities, 
J34>  135;  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, 135,  194,  284,  350; 
Civic  Federation,  135;  Eve- 
ning recreation  centers,  237; 
Cost  of  evening  schools,  43, 
44,  45,  47;  High  school 
secret  societies,  350;  Hull 
House,  272;  Park  system, 
272;  Permanent  Vacation 
School  Committee  of  Wo- 
men's Clubs,  135, 145;  Play- 
ground effects,  175, 177, 180, 
181;  Seward  School,  135; 
Social  centers,  284;  Uni- 
versity Settlement,  135;  Use 
of  school  houses  by  religious 
organizations,  353;  Vaca- 
tion schools,  administration, 
130;  Vacation  schools,  bene- 
fits, 142,  143;  Vacation 
schools,  cost  of,  132;  Vaca- 
tion schools,  excursions,  126; 
Vacation  schools,  history  of, 
X34>  I35>  Vacation  schools, 
teachers'  salaries,  121;  Visit- 
ing Nurses'  Association,  143; 
Women's  clubs,  135 

CHILD  LABOR,  210 
CHILDREN,  CARE  OF,  210 

CHILDREN  AT  LECTURES,  207, 
208 

CHINNING,  293,  296,  300 

CINCINNATI,  OHIO:  Athletics, 
325-327;  Evening  high 
school,  27;  Evening  recrea- 
tion centers,  238;  Lectures, 
199;  Music,  34;  Music  in 
evening  schools,  87;  Physi- 
cal training,  34;  Physical 
training  in  evening  schools, 
87;  Playground  apparatus, 
163;  Playground  effects,  176; 
Social  center  development, 


283;  Vacation  schools,  124, 
126,  129,  139;  Vacation 
schools,  administration,  130; 
Vacation  schools,  benefits, 
142;  Vacation  schools,  cost 
of,  132;  Vacation  schools, 
teachers  and  their  salaries 


CITIES,  GROWTH  OF,  372,  373 
CITY  GOVERNMENT,  367 

Civic  CLUBS:  Activities,  259, 
260;  Effect  on  street  boys, 
263;  Membership,  259,  260; 
Objects,  254,  257,  258; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  252-254, 
257-265;  Topics,  259;  Value, 
369;  Young  people's,  262, 
263.  See  also  Social  Centers 

Civic  LEAGUE  FOR  IMMIGRANTS: 
Boston,  14 

Civic  PROBLEMS,  203 

Civics:  "Boston-i9i5,"  210;  In 
Munich  trade  schools,  67, 
70;  Teaching  foreigners,  31, 
32,33 

CLARK,  E.  P.,  214 

CLARK,  JOHN  B.,  202 

CLASS  ATHLETICS,  291-294,  296, 
298-300 

CLEVELAND,  OHIO:  Anti-tuber- 
culosis League,  190;  Athlet- 
ics, 324;  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, 137,  191,  192;  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolu- 
tion, 188,  189,  191,  238;  Day 
Nursery  and  Free  Kinder- 
garten Association,  137;  Ele- 
mentary evening  schools,  30; 
Evening  recreation  centers, 
238  ;  Evening  school  adminis- 
tration, 39;  Evening  schools, 
admission  to,  43;  Evening 
schools,  attendance,  85,  no; 
Evening  schools,  cost  of, 
45,47;  Fortnightly  Musical 


400 


INDEX 


Club,  190;  Lecture  and  en- 
tertainment system,  187- 
194,207,208;  Lectures, 
topics  of,  190,  193;  Old 
Stone  Church,  137;  Play- 
ground apparatus,  163;  Play- 
ground organization,  171; 
Playground  program,  161; 
Politics,  193;  Rubinstein 
semi-chorus,  100;  School 
yard  day  nursery,  157; 
Social  center  development, 
283;  Talks  to  parents  by 
citizens,  190;  Teachers  in 
evening  schools,  42;  Tech- 
nical High  School,  26,  42, 
143;  Trade  organization  and 
evening  school  attendance, 
93,  94;  Vacation  schools, 
124-126,  129;  Vacation 
schools,  administration,  130; 
Vacation  schools,  establish- 
ment of,  137;  Vacation 
schools,  results,  141,  142; 
Western  Reserve  University, 
190 

CLINE,  EARL,  331 

CLUBS:  Evening  recreation,  227; 
In  high  schools,  349-351 

COLLEGE:  Free,  51;  College  com- 
mons, 365 

Collier's,  254 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY,  202 

COLUMBUS,  Omo:  Board  of 
Education,  282;  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  282;  College 
Women's  Club,  282;  Com- 
mittee on  Co-operation,  282; 
Department  of  Public  Rec- 
reation, 283;  Federation  of 
Women's  Clubs,  282;  School 
Extension  Society,  282;  So- 
cial centers,  282,  283 ;  United 
Commercial  Travelers'  Wo- 
men's Clubs,  282;  Use  of 
school  houses  by  religious 
organizations,  353;  Young 


Ladies'  Playground  Associa- 
tion, 282 

COMMUNITY  LIFE,  273,  372. 
See  also  Social  Centers 

COMPULSORY  ATTENDANCE  AT 
EVENING  SCHOOLS,  100-107; 
England,  103,  104;  Ger- 
many, 103-107;  'jMassachu- 
setts  law,  101,  102;  New 
York  law,  100,  101;  Dr. 
Poland  quoted,  103;  Prof. 
Sadler  quoted,  103,  104 

CONGESTION    OF    POPULATION, 

373,  374,  381 
CONGRESS    (SCHOOL    SOCIETY), 

349 
CONNECTICUT:  Urban  attendance 

at  evening  schools,  102 

CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS,  49; 
Authorities,  78;  Notting- 
ham, Eng.,  57-59 

CONTINUATION  SCHOOL  SYSTEM 
IN  GERMANY:  Administra- 
tion, 73;  Agricultural,  71; 
Attendance,  72;  Authori- 
ties; 78;  Commercial,  70, 
71;  Course,  71,  72;  General, 
71;  Industrial,  70;  Magde- 
burg, 70;  Munich,  66-70, 
104-107;  Leipzig,  72;  Teach- 
ers, 72;  Zittau,  72,  78 

CONVICTS,  PRISON,  359 
COOLEY,  E.  G.,  49 
COSMOS  CLUB,  222 

COST  :  Of  evening  schools,  43-48 ; 
Of  lectures,  207;  Of  recrea- 
tion centers  in  New  York 
City,  236;  Of  social  center 
maintenance,  Rochester,  N. 
Y.,  268-270;  Of  vacation 
schools,  132,  133 

COUNTRY  LIFE,  284,  285;  value, 
376 


401 


INDEX 


COUNTRY  SCHOOL  ATHLETIC 
LEAGUE  OF  ULSTER  COUNTY, 
N.  Y.,  328 

CRAMPTON,  C.  WARD,  M.D.,  308, 

33i 
CREASEY,  CLARENCE  H.,  51 

CROOK,  JAMES  WALTER,  10 

CROTHERS,  REV.  SAMUEL  M., 
256 

CURTIS,  HENRY  S.,  145 

CZARDASH,  318,  319 


DANCES,  160.  See  also  Folk- 
dances 

DANCING,  13,  14,  128,  153,  230, 
231,  232,  240,  320,  321;  In 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  279;  In 
Rochester  School  Number 
Nine,  255 

DANISH   SHOEMAKER'S    DANCE, 

i53 
DARTT,  MORTON  L.,  145 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN 
REVOLUTION:  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  188,  189,  191,  238; 
Montclair,  N.  J.,  169,  174; 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  341; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  270 

DAWLEY,  FRANK  C.,  256 
DAY  NURSERIES,  374 

DAY  SCHOOL  PUPILS:  Following 
up,  for  evening  schools,  86, 
87 

DEBATING  CLUBS,  263,  264 

DE  LACY,  JUDGE:  Opinion  as  to 
benefit  of  playgrounds,  176 

DEMOCRACY,  265,  273,  369 
DE  MONTMORENCY,  J.  E.  G.,  145 
DENOMINATIONAL  BARRIERS,  262 


DEPTFORD,  LONDON,  ENG.,  244 

DES  MOINES,  IA.  :  Cost  of  vaca- 
tion schools,  132 

DETROIT,  MICH.:  Council  of 
women,  172,  173;  Federa- 
tion of  Women's  Clubs,  352; 
Playground  beginnings,  172, 
173;  School  board,  351,  352 

DEWEY,  JOHN,  16,  288 
DIRECT  PRIMARY  PLAN,  368 

DISCIPLINE,  130;  On  play- 
grounds, 165-168;  Play- 
ground effects,  181 

DISEASE,  373,  381 

"Do  IT  FOR  ROCHESTER,"  250, 
288 

DRAMATICS,  159 
DRAPER,  ANDREW  S.,  49 

DRAWING,  AS  TAUGHT  IN  THE. 
STUYVESANT  HIGH  SCHOOL 
(EVENING),  23,  24 

DREADNAUGHT  LITERARY  AND 
ATHLETIC  SOCIETY,  222 

DRESS,  261 

DUBLIN,  IRELAND:  Evening  play 
center,  244 

DUNLAP  HOME  AND  SCHOOL  AS- 
SOCIATION, 339 

DUSSELDORF,  GERMANY,  78 
DUTTON,  SAMUEL  TRAIN,  51, 145 
DUTTON  AND  SNEDDEN,  l6,  288 
DYER,  F.  B.,  49 

EAST  NINTH  STREET,  N.  Y. 
CITY,  218 

EAST  ORANGE,  N.  J. :  Playground 
apparatus,  164 

EHRLICH,  J.,  305 


402 


INDEX 


ELDREDGE,  BERTHA  P.,  256 

ELECTRICITY  AS  TAUGHT  IN  THE 
STUYVESANT  HIGH  SCHOOL 
(EVENING),  21-23 

ELEMENTARY  EVENING  SCHOOLS, 
5.  29-34 

ELEMENTARY  SCHOOL  INSTRUC- 
TION REQUIREMENTS,  372 

ELGAS,  MATTHEW  J.,  50 

ELIOT,  CHARLES  W.,  16;  Quoted 
on  school  house  use,  379, 
380 

EL  SON,  WM.  H.:  Quoted  on 
parent-teacher  associations, 
346 

EMERSON,  HENRY  P.:  Quoted  on 
teachers,  in 

EMPLOYERS  :  Co-operation  in  eve- 
ning school  attendance,  89- 
93 

EMPLOYMENT  BUREAUS,  266, 365 

ENGLAND:   Evening  schools  in, 
55-66;  Political  use  of  school   j 
houses,  353;    School  house   j 
rental,  285;  Social  centers,   ! 
285-288;    Social   Institutes 
Union,  285-288 

ENGLISH  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION, 

65,78 
ENGLISH  LANGUAGE  IN  EVENING 

SCHOOLS,  31,  32 

ENTERTAINMENTS.  See  Lectures 
and  Entertainments 

ERASMUS  HALL,  350 
ERON,  JOSEPH  E.,  205 

EVENING  INSTRUCTION:  Civic 
value,  370,  371;  Direct  in- 
dustrial value,  363,  364; 
Educational  value,  370 

EVENING  PLAY  CENTRES  COM- 
MITTEE, LONDON,  ENG.,  240, 
243,  244 


EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 
ii,  12;  Athletics,  239;  Au- 
thorities, 246;  Boys'  clubs, 
238;  Bradford,  England, 
245;  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  239; 
Chicago,  111.,  237;  Cin- 
cinnati, O.,  238;  Cleveland, 
O.,  238;  Dancing,  237;  Defi- 
nition, 246;  Gymnasiums, 
237;  London,  England,  230- 
244;  Manchester,  England, 

244,  245;    Milwaukee,  237; 
Newark,  N.  J.,   236,   237; 
Newton,  Mass.,  238;    New 
York  City,  217-236,  Phila- 
delphia,   Pa.,    237;     Pitts- 
burgh,  Pa,  238;    Portland, 
Me.,  238;    St.  Louis,  Mo., 
238;     Social    centers,    238, 

245,  246;   Syracuse,  N.  Y., 

238.  See  also  Evening  Rec- 
reation Centers   in  London; 
in  New  York;    also  Social 
Centers 

EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 
IN  LONDON:  Aim,  243; 
Babies,  239,  240;  Bermond- 
sey,  244;  Choice  of  children, 
241;  County  Council,  239, 
240,  243;  County  Council 
Schools,  239;  Cost,  242; 
Dances,  240;  Deptford,  244; 
Drill  classes,  240;  Games, 

239,  240;  Occupations,  239; 
Organizations,  241;   Origin, 
243;  Paddington,  244;  Pass- 
more  Edwards  Settlement, 
243;  Play  Centres  Commit- 
tee, 240,  243,  244;  "Robert 
Elsmere,"  242;  Sessions,  241 ; 
Stepney,  244;   Mrs.  Hum- 
phry   Ward,    240;    White- 
chapel,  244;  Work,  239 

EVENING  RECREATION  CENTERS 
IN  NEW  YORK  CITY:  Ac- 
tivities, description  of,  217- 
225;  Administration,  236; 
Alcott  Club,  229;  Athletics, 
234,  235;  Basket  ball,  221; 


403 


INDEX 


223,  226;  Benefits,  234,  235; 
Clubs,  227,  232;  Cost,  236; 
East  Ninth  Street,  N.  Y., 
217-225;  East  Third  Street, 
N.  Y.,  226;  Gavel  Club,  230; 
Girls,  235;  Gymnasium, 
219,  220,  226;  Gymnasts, 
235;  High  School  of  Com- 
merce, 226;  Irving  Literary 
Social,  230;  Lassie  Club, 
230;  Organization,  235,  236; 
Public  School  Number  188, 
226,  230;  Salaries,  236; 
"Toughs,"  234,  235;  Trav- 
elers' Club,  230;  Twelfth 
Regiment  Armory,  227;  Wo- 
men, 235 

EVENING  SCHOOLS  IN  ENG- 
LAND: Code,  88;  Govern- 
ment grants,  65,66;  Halifax, 
64;  Leeds,  64;  London,  64, 
65;  Manchester,  64,  65;  Na- 
tional Board  of  Education, 
65;  Nottingham,  55-64. 
See  also  special  titles 

EVENING  SCHOOLS  IN  FRANCE: 
Association  for  popular  edu- 
cation, 76,  77;  Authorities, 
78;  Paris,  73-76.  See  also 
France;  Paris 

EVENING  SCHOOLS  IN  GERMANY: 
Administration,  72;  Attend- 
ance, 72;  Authorities,  78; 
Continuation  schools,  70, 
71;  Leipzig,  72;  Magdeburg, 
70;  Munich,  66-70;  Teach- 
ers, 72;  Zittau,  72,  78.  See 
also  Munich 

EVENING  SCHOOLS  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES:  Additional 
subjects,  35-37;  Adminis- 
tration, 38-48;  Admission, 
43;  Adults,  30;  American 
cities,  4;  Attendance,  see 
Evening  School  Attendance; 
Auburn,  N.  Y.,  43;  Authori- 
ties, 51,52;  Beneficial  effects, 
37,  38;  Boston,  Mass.,  29, 


34,  39;  Brockton,  Mass., 
34,  35;  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  26, 
29,  30,  33,  4i;  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  27,  30,  39,  43,  48; 
Chemistry,  20,  21;  Chicago, 
111.,  43,  44,  45,  47;  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  27,  34;  Civics, 
3i ,  32,  335  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  26,  30,  39,  42,  43,  45, 
47;  Cost  of  maintenance, 
43-48;  Drawing,  23,  24; 
Electricity,  21,  23;  Elemen- 
tary, 5,  29-34;  English 
language,  31,32;  Foreigners 
in,  5,  21,  31;  Free  college, 
51;  German  continuation 
school  system,  49;  Grading, 
30;  Grading  foreigners,  39, 
40;  High  schools,  5,  6,  27- 
29;  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  39, 
43;  Instruction,  20-2 2;  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  28,  39, 40;  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  47, 48;  Lowell, 
Mass.,  27;  [Maintenance, 
38,  43-48;  Massachusetts 
College,  51;  Massachusetts 
local  boards,  40,  41 ;  Massa- 
chusetts state  co-operation, 
38;  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  48; 
Music,  34;  Newark,  N.  J., 
26,  27,  28,  33,  34,  35,  36,  39, 
41,43,44,46,48;  New  York 
City,  5,  6,  30-32,  35,  38,  39, 
41,  43,  44,  45,  46,  481,  50; 
Pennsylvania  law  as  to  ad- 
mission of  pupils,  43 ;  Phila- 
delphia, Pa.,  31,  42,  43; 
Physical  training,  34; 
Physics,  21 ;  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
28,  35;  Providence,  R.  I., 
28,  43,  44,  45J  Pupils,  ad- 
mission of,  43;  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  43,  47,  48,  50;  Sales- 
manship, 34;  Seriousness 
of  pupils,  20;  Springfield, 
Mass.,  25,  26,  42,  43,  44, 
46;  State  co-operation,  50; 
Study  classes,  35;  Stuyve- 
sant  High  School,  N.  Y. 
City,  19-25;  Subjects 


404 


INDEX 


taught,  5;  Teachers,  ap- 
pointment of ,  41 ,  42;  Teach- 
ers' nationality,  31,  32; 
Teachers'  salaries,  48; 
Teaching  English  to  for- 
eigners, 5;  Tendencies,  48; 
Trade,  5,  6;  Trade  school, 
features  of  N.  Y.,  10-25; 
Worcester,  Mass.,  27,  28,  29 

EVENING  SCHOOL  ATTENDANCE: 
Advertising,  8 1,  82,  83;  At- 
tractions, 87,  88;  Auburn, 
N.  ¥.,85,86,  no;  Bavaria, 
105;  Bootle,  Eng.,  89,  90; 
Boston,  Mass.,  89,  98,  99; 
Brockton,  Mass.,  98;  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  85,  87,  89,  98, 
101;  Cincinnati,  O.,  87; 
Cleveland,  O.,  85,  93,  94, 
no;  Compulsion,  100-107; 
Connecticut  urban  attend- 
ance, 102;  Co-operation  of 
employers,  80-93;  Co-opera- 
tion of  trade  organizations, 
93-98;  Courses  of  study,  113; 
Deposits,  no;  England,  88, 
02,  95,  99,  113,  114;  Eng- 
lish trade  associations,  94; 
Following  up  day  pupils,  86, 
87;  France,  95;  Germany, 
103-107,  114;  Halifax, 
Eng.,  109;  Illinois  urban 
attendance,  102;  Industrial 
companies  in  England,  92; 
Instruction,  98-100,  113; 
Jamestown,  N.  Y.,  86,  no; 
Jersey  City,  N.  Y.,  85; 
Labor  unions,  95-98;  Law- 
rence, Mass.,  87;  Leeds, 
Eng.,  89,99, 107,  112;  Lon- 
don, Eng.,  85,  86,  87, 88,  99; 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  no; 
Lowell,  Mass.,  101, 102, 108, 
109;  Manchester,  Eng.,  86, 
109;  Massachusetts,  101, 
114;  Massachusetts  urban 
attendance,  102;  Dr.  Max- 
well quoted,  in;  Milwau- 
kee, Wis.,  108;  Munich, 


Germany,  104, 105;  Munich 
trade  guilds,  94,  95;  New 
Jersey  urban  attendance, 
102;  Newspapers,  84,  85; 
New  York  Central  Railway, 
93;  New  York  City,  85, 108, 
109,  112;  New  York  State 
law,  100,  101;  New  York 
State  law  of  1908,  97;  New 
York  urban  attendance, 
102;  Northwich,  Eng.,  91; 
Nottingham,  Eng.,  86,  87, 
88;  Organization,  113,  114; 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  in,  112; 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  1 10 ;  Pitts- 
burgh Evening  High  School, 
8 1,  82,  83,  98;  Dr.  Poland's 
views,  103;  Publicity,  81- 
86;  Railway  companies  in 
England,  92;  Railways  in 
the  United  States,  93;  Re- 
wards, 107,  108;  (Prof.) 
Sadler's  views,  103,  104; 
Servants  in  Bavaria,  105; 
Springfield,  Mass.,  93;  Swit- 
zerland, 94;  Table  of  urban 
attendance,  102;  Teachers, 
ii i,  ii 2; Trenton,  N.Y.,  85; 
Wales,  114;  Widnes,  Eng., 


EXHIBITIONS  AT  CLOSE  OF  PLAY- 
GROUND SEASON,  162,  163 

EXTENSION  OF  SCHOOL  WORK, 

i43,  US 
EYESIGHT,  343 

FAWCETT     DRAWING     SCHOOL, 
NEWARK,  N.  J.,  26,  27 

FEDERATION  OF  PUBLIC  SCHOOL 
TEACHERS,  349 

FERRER,  FRANCESCO,  275 
FIRST  CHURCH  OF  BOSTON,  134 

FLORIDA,  SCHOOL  IMPROVEMENT 
ASSOCIATIONS,  349 


405 


INDEX 


FOLK-DANCING,  13,  14,  153,  155, 
156,  161,  167,  177,  180,  231, 
232,  371;  Ace  of  Diamonds, 
153;  Barn  dance,  330;  Blek- 
ing,  153;  Burchenal,  Miss, 
318,  319;  Carrousel,  322; 
Czardash,  318,  319;  Danish 
shoemaker's  dance,  153; 
Highland  Fling,  153;  Hun- 
garian national  dance,  318, 
319;  Hungarian  Solo,  315; 
Krakiavik ,  329;  Ladita , 
329;  Looby  Loo,  329;  May 
Day  festivals,  321,  322; 
May-pole  dance,  315;  May- 
pole, 329;  Newark,  N.  J., 
329;  Pensacola,  Fla.,  329, 
330;  Public  School  Number 
Twenty-two,  Manhattan, 
313;  "Reap  the  Flax,"  314; 
Russian  dance,  315;  Scandi- 
navian dance,  314;  Taran- 
tella, 153,  315 

FOLLOWING  UP  ABSENTEES  FROM 
EVENING  SCHOOLS,  108,  109 

FORBES,  GEORGE  M.,  259,  274 

FOREIGNERS:  Americanization 
of,  50;  In  Boston,  14;  In 
Chicago,  31;  Eagerness  to 
learn,  33,  34;  In  evening 
schools,  5,  21 ;  Instruc- 
tors, 31,  32;  In  New  York 
City,  31,  204,  205;  In 
Philadelphia,  31;  Play- 
ground effects,  176,  177; 
Schools  for,  50 

FortUldungsschulen,  49 
FOURTH  OF  JULY,  328,  329 

FRANCE:  Apprenticeship  classes, 
95;  Association  Philotech- 
nique,  77;  Association  Poly- 
technique,  77;  Associations 
for  popular  education,  76, 
77;  Evening  schools,  73-78; 
S  o  c  i  6 1  e  d'Enseignement 
Moderne,  77;  Soci6t6  Na- 


406 


tionale  pour  la  Propagation 
des  Langues  Etrangeres,  77; 
Union  Franjaise  de  la 
Jeunesse,  77 

FRAZIER,  EDGAR  G.,  256 
FREE  COLLEGE,  51 
FREEDOM  OF  SPEECH,  274-276 

FREE    PUBLIC    LECTURES.     See 
Lectures,  etc. 


GAMES  AND  SPORTS:  In  elemen- 
tary and  high  schools,  301; 
Lectures  on,  208,  209;  For 
girls  in  class  rooms,  323; 
In  vacation  kindergartens, 
123 

"GANG,"  THE,  263,  264 
GARDENING,  SCHOOL,  15,  1 6 

GARZAK,  Miss,  ROCHESTER,  N. 
Y,  256 

GAVEL  CLUB,  N.  Y.  CITY,  230 

GERMAN  CONTINUATION  SCHOOL 
SYSTEM,  49.  See  also  Con- 
tinuation School  System  and 
Munich 

GERMANY:  Evening  schools  in, 
66-73 

GILBERT  AMERICAN  SCHOOL 
DANCES,  160 

GIRLS:  Athletics  for,  159;  Clubs 
in  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  262- 
264;  Dances  and  games  for, 
313-319;  Hoydenish,  235; 
Prize  games,  323 

GIRLS'  BRANCH  OF  THE  PUBLIC 
SCHOOLS  ATHLETIC  LEAGUE: 
Administration,  323;  Basket 
ball,  320;  Class-room  games, 
323;  Competitions,  320, 321; 
Dancing,  320,  321;  Dress, 
321;  Events,  320;  Hand- 
book, 323;  May  Day,  321, 


322;  Organization,  322, 323; 
Pins,  320;  Trophies,  320; 
Work,  319 

GOLER,  GEORGE  W.,  M.D.,  253 
GOMME,  MRS.  GEORGE  L.,  240 

GORDY,  WILBUR  F.,  49;  Quoted 
on  the  use  of  school  build- 
ings, 354 

GOVERNMENT:  Complexity  of 
modern  local,  367 

GRAFT  GOVERNMENT,  368,  372, 

381 
G.  A.  R.,  NEW  YORK  CITY,  347 

GRIND  RAPIDS,  MICH.:  Library 
^Commission   lectures,    197, 


INDEX 

HAMILTON  FORUM,  223 
HAMMER-THROWING,  301 
HANMER,  LEE  F.,  331;  Quoted 


:,  N.  Y.,  284,  285 
GREENE,  M.  LOUISE,  16 

GRICE,  MARY  VAN  METER,  335, 

338,  355 
GRUENBAUM,  MR.,  223 

GULICK,  LUTHER  H.,  M.D.,  294, 
326,  331;  Quoted  on  the 
co-operation  of  school  offic- 
ials in  athletics,  311,  312 

GUTHRIE,  WM.  B.,  202 

GYMNASIUMS,  219,  220,  226,  284, 
373;  School  playgrounds 
as,  8 

GYMNASTICS:  Rochester,  N.  Y., 

266,  267 
GYMNASTS,  235 

HALIFAX,  ENG.,  78;  Following 
up  absentees,  109 

HALL,  BOLTON,  256 
HALL,  G.  STANLEY,  288 

HALLS  IN  SCHOOL  BUILDINGS, 
251,  267,  268,  284,  353 


on  effect  of  sports  on  school, 
330 

HARRISBURG,  PA.  ;  Parent- 
teachers  meetings,  347; 
Playground  beginnings,  1 74 

HARRISON,  E.,  355 
HATS,  WOMEN'S,  252,  262 

HAVERHILL,  MASS.:  Cost  of  va- 
cation schools,  132,  133; 
Vacation  school  excursions, 
126, 127 

HEALTH  LECTURES,  213 

HEBREW  TECHNICAL  SCHOOL  FOR 
GIRLS,  N.  Y.  CITY,  144 

HENROTIN,  MRS.  E.  M.,  355 
HESPERIA  MOVEMENT,  345,  355 
HIGHLAND  FLING,  153 
HIGH  SCHOOL  CLUBS,  349-351 
"  HIGH    SCHOOL    MORTALITY," 

35i 
HIGH  SCHOOLS,   EVENING,  5,  6, 

27-29 

HISTORICAL  EXCURSIONS  AND 
EXHIBITS,  127 

HISTORICAL  LECTURES,  212 

HOLYOKE,  MASS.  :  Social  centers, 

283 
HOME,  340,  346,  347 

"HOME  AND  SCHOOL":  Extract 
335-338 

HOME  AND  SCHOOL  ASSOCIA- 
TIONS: Auburn,  N.  Y.,  343, 
344;  Boston,  Mass.,  15, 341- 
343;  Formation  of,  338; 
Houston,  Texas,  344;  Michi- 
gan, 345;  New  York  City, 


407 


INDEX 


344,  345;  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
14, 338-34i;  Rural,  345,  346 
Home  and  School  News,  280 

HOME  TRAINING  IN  COUNTRY 
AND  CITY,  376 

HOPF,  MRS.  FRANZISKA,  205 

HOUSEKEEPING  COURSE:  In 
Newark  Playgrounds,  153; 
In  St.  Louis  Vacation 
Schools,  124 

HOUSTON,  MARION,  145 

HOUSTON,  TEXAS:  Mothers' 
clubs,  344 

HUGHES,  Gov.  CHARLES  E.,  264, 

265,  368,  369 
HULL  HOUSE,  272 
HUNGARIAN  SOLO  DANCE,  315 
HYGIENE:  City,  374 
HYRE,  MRS.  SARAH  E.,  191-194 

ILES,  G.,  214 

ILLINOIS:  Urban  attendance  at 
evening  schools,  102 

ILLITERATE  MINORS  IN  MASSA- 
CHUSETTS, 101,  102 

IMMIGRANTS:  Assimilation  of, 
370;  Evening  schools  for,  in 
Massachusetts,  101,  102; 
In  Boston,  Mass.,  14;  In 
New  York  City,  5,  205;  In 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  136; 
Schools  for,  50 

IMMIGRATION,  223;  Effect  on 
society,  365,  366,  381 

IMPROVEMENT  ASSOCIATION,  348, 

349 

INDEPENDENCE  DAY,  328,  329 
INDIAN  CLUB  RELAY  RACE,  317 
INDIAN  SKETCHES,  127,  128 


INDIANAPOLIS,  IND.:  Admission 
of  pupils  to  evening  schools, 
43;  Children's  Aid  Associa- 
tion, 139;  Evening  school 
administration,  39;  Play- 
ground organization,  170; 
Public  Recreation  Commit- 
tee of  the  Children's  Aid 
Association,  139;  Vacation 
schools,  139 

INDUSTRIAL  COMMISSIONS:  Mas- 
sachusetts, 359;  New  Jer- 
sey, 359 

INDUSTRIAL  COMPANIES  IN  ENG- 
LAND: Co-operation  of,  in 
evening  school  attendance, 
92,93 

INDUSTRIAL  CONDITIONS:  Mod- 
ern, 359-362 

INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION,  362 

INDUSTRIAL  SCHOOLS:  Evening, 
19-27.  See  also  Trade 
schools;  Evening  schools 

INDUSTRIAL  TRAINING:  Money 
value,  36,  37,  363 

INDUSTRY:  Specialization  of,  359, 
360 

INFANTS:  Care  and  feeding  of, 
143;  In  playgrounds,  156, 
157,  178 

INTERNATIONAL  TYPOGRAPHICAL 
UNION,  96 

IRVING  LITERARY  SOCIETY,  OF 
N.  Y.  CITY,  230 

ITALIAN  DANCE,  153,  315 

ITALIANS:  In  social  centers,  371; 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  278; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  260,  261 

IVEAGH,  LORD,  244 


JAMESTOWN,  N.  Y.:  Attendance 
at  evening  schools,  86,  no 


408 


INDEX 


JERSEY  CITY,  N.  J.:  Lectures, 
207;  Methods  of  promoting 
attendance  at  evening 
schools,  8s 

JOHNSON,  GEORGE  ELLSWORTH, 

183,  33i 
JOHNSTOWN,      PA.:      Vacation 

schools,    establishment    of, 

138 
JONES,  ANNA,  Rochester,  N.  Y., 

253 
JONES,  ARTHUR  J.,  51,  55,  78, 

100 

JUMPING,  229-294,  296,  303,  308 

JUVENILE  COURT  TESTIMONY  AS 
TO  BENEFITS  OF  PLAY- 
GROUNDS, 175,  176,  180 


KANSAS  CITY,  Mo.:  Playground 
effects,  176;  Rentals  of  high 
school  halls,  353 

KELLEY,  FLORENCE,  256 
KENNARD,  BEULAH,  127,  128 

KERN,  O.  J.  :  Quoted  on  parent- 
teacher  associations,  348 

KERSCHENSTEINER,  G  E  o  R  G: 
Quoted  on  compulsory  at- 
tendance at  Munich  con- 
tinuation schools,  104-107 

KINDERGARTENS  IN  ST.  Louis, 
VACATION,  122,  123 

KING,  GEN.  HORATIO  C.,  10 
KITCHEN  IN  SCHOOLS,  365,  376 
KITE  MAKING,  159 
KRAG-JORGENSEN   RIFLES,   304 
KRAKIAVTK  DANCE,  329 


LABOR     CONDITIONS:    Modern, 
359-362 


LABOR  UNIONS  AND  EVENING 
SCHOOLS,  95-98 

LADITA  DANCE,  329 

LANGUAGE  IN  EVENING  SCHOOLS, 

31,32 
LAKNED,  CHARLES  W.,  331 

LASHER,  WM.  R.:  Quoted  on 
school  clubs,  350,  351 

LASSIE  CLUB.,  N.  Y.  CITY,  230 
LAVERGNE,  F.,  78 

LAWRENCE,  MASS.  :  Evening  high 
schools,  28;  Evening  school 
administration,  39, 40;  Eve- 
ning school  attractions,  87; 
Teachers'  association,  196, 
197 

LEAGUE  OF  HOME  AND  SCHOOL 
ASSOCIATIONS.  See  Phila- 
delphia 

LECTURES:  Character,  201;  Free, 
212;  Methods  of  obtaining, 
211,  212;  Sources,  209,  213; 
Topics,  201-203 

LECTURES  AND  ENTERTAINMENTS  : 
Audiences,  204, 205;  Author- 
ities, 214;  Benefits,  206, 
369;  Boards  of  education, 

198,  199;     Boston,   Mass., 
198, 199;  Children,  207,  208, 
209;     Cincinnati,   O.,    199; 
Cleveland,  O.,  187-194,  207, 
208;     Cost,     207;      Grand 
Rapids,    Mich.,    197,    198; 
Home  and  School  Associa- 
tions, 198;  Mrs.  Hyre,  191- 
194;  Jersey  City,  N.  J.,  207; 
Kinds,  194-199;  Lawrence, 
Mass.,  196,  197;    Lectures, 
sources  of,  209-213;     Leip- 
ziger,  Henry  M.,  203,  204, 
206;      Library    and,     204; 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  207;  Mis- 
cellaneous, 195;  Moral  talks, 
208,  209;    Newark,  N.  J., 

199,  207,  208;    New  York 


409 


INDEX 


City,  9-1 1,  200-206;  Peda- 
gogues, 194,  195,  196,  197; 
People's  co-operation,  213, 
214;  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  198; 
Playground,  186;  Politics, 
193;  Reading,  204;  Roches- 
ter, N.  Y.,  199;  St.  Paul, 
Minn.,  198;  Speakers, meth- 
ods of  obtaining,  211,  212; 
Speakers,  variety  of,  201; 
Sunday  afternoons,  196;  For 
teachers,  194,  195,  196, 197; 
Topics,  190,  193,  201,  203; 
Tuberculosis,  193 

LEE,  JOSEPH,  145 

LEEDS,  ENG.,  78;  Attendance  re- 
wards, 107;  Employers'  co- 
operation in  evening  school 
attendance,  89;  Evening 
schools,  99;  Teachers  in 
evening  schools,  112 

LEIPZIG,  GERMANY,  TRADE 
SCHOOLS,  72 

LEIPZIGER,  HENRY  M.,  u,  203, 
204,  206,  213,  214 

LELAND,  ARTHUR,  183 
LELAND,  LORNA  H.,  183 
LEVITY  CLUB,  222 

LEXINGTON,  MASS.:  Playground 
beginning,  174 

LIBRARIES:  Lectures  on,  212; 
In  school  playground,  160; 
Traveling,  220,  221;  Roch- 
ester, N.  Y.,  267 

LIBRARY,  PUBLIC:  Aid  in  public 
lectures,  204;  Co-operation 
in  the  vacation  schools,  126 

LINCOLN,  ABRAHAM,  81,  263 
LINCOLN'S  BIRTHDAY,  347 
LINDSAY,  SAMUEL  McCuNE,  16 
LITERARY  CLUBS,  227 
LITTLE  RED  SCHOOL  HOUSE,  284 


LONDON:  Bermondsey,  244; 
County  council  classes,  78, 
288;  County  council  schools, 
239,  240,  243,  353;  County 
council  school  house  rental, 
285;  Deptford,  244;  Evening 
recreation  centers,  239-244; 
Evening  schools,  99;  Eve- 
ning school  attractions,  88; 
Methods  of  promoting  at- 
tendance at  evening  schools, 
85,  86,  87;  Paddington,  244; 
Passmore  Edwards  Settle- 
ment, 243;  Tavistock  Place, 
243;  The  Times,  243,  246; 
Whitechapel,  244.  See  also 
London  Evening  Recreation 
Centers 

LOOBY  Loo  DANCE,  331 

Los  ANGELES,  CAL.:  Evening 
school  attendance,  no;  Cost 
of  evening  schools,  47,  48; 
Parents'  conference  on 
health,  347;  Playground  ap- 
paratus, 163,  164;  Play- 
ground beginnings,  174; 
Playground  brass  bands, 
161;  Playground  effects, 
1 80;  Playground  organiza- 
tion, 169,  170 

LOUISE,  PRINCESS,  OF  ENGLAND, 
88 

LOWELL,  MASS.:  Evening  high 
school,  27;  Evening  high 
school  attendance,  101,  102; 
Following  up  absentees,  108, 
109 

LOWELL  CLUB,  223 

LUNCH  ROOMS  IN  SCHOOLS,  365 

LUNDY,  MRS.  J.  P.,  174 


MACHINE  OPERATORS,  261 

MACHINERY:  Social  effects,  365, 
366;    Use  in  industry,  360 


410 


INDEX 


MADISON,  N.  J.:  Civic  Associa- 
tion, 169;  Playground  or- 
ganization, 169;  Thursday 
Morning  Club,  169 

MAGDEBURG,  GERMANY,  78;  Com- 
mercial continuation  schools, 
70,  71 

MANCHESTER,  ENG.,  78;  Attend- 
ance at  evening  schools,  86, 
109;  Children's  Happy 
Evening  Section,  244,  245; 
Recreative  Evening  Classes, 
247 

MANHATTAN  HISTORICAL  EX- 
HIBITS, 127 

MANNERS,  177 

MANUAL  LABOR:  In  Munich 
trade  schools,  67 

MANUAL  TRAINING,  362 
MARATHON,  SOLDIER  or,  297 
MARKSMANSHIP,  304 

MASSACHUSETTS:  Commission  on 
Industrial  and  Technical 
Education,  State,  38,  359, 
363;  Evening  school  attend- 
ance, 114;  Illiterate  minors 
law,  101,  102,  114;  Local 
school  boards  and  evening 
schools,  40,  41;  State  sup- 
port of  local  industrial 
schools,  38;  Urban  attend- 
ance at  evening  schools,  102 

MASSACHUSETTS  COLLEGE,  THE, 
Si 

MAXWELL,  WM.  H.,  50,  294; 
Quoted  on  deposits  from 
pupils,  in;  Quoted  on 
school  house  use,  379 

MAY  DAY  FESTIVALS,  321,  322 
MAY-POLE  DANCE,  315, 329 
MEAN  WELL,  W.  £.,331 
MEDFORD,   MASS.:   Vacation 


schools,    establishment    of, 
138 

MEETINGS  IN  SCHOOL  HOUSES, 
14-15;  Activities,  339,  340; 
Auburn,  N.  Y.,  343,  344; 
Authorities,  355;  Boston, 
Mass.,  341-343;  Brooklyn, 
N.  Y.,  350,  351;  Chicago, 
350;  Description  of  a  gather- 
ing  from  "Home  and 
School,"  335-338;  Detroit, 
M  ich . ,  3  5 1 , 3  $  2 ;  Educational 
purposes, 35 1, 35 2;  England, 
353;  Expenses,  339;  Harris- 
burg,  Pa.,  347;  Hesperia 
movement,  345,  355;  High 
school  clubs,  349;  Home  and 
School  Association,  338; 
Houston,  Texas,  344;  Im- 
provement association,  348, 
349;  London  County  Coun- 
cil Schools,  353;  Los 
Angeles,  Cal.,  347;  Michi- 
gan, 345;  Milwaukee,  Wis., 
352;  Miscellaneous  socie- 
ties, 347,  348;  Newark,  N. 
J.,  352;  New  York  City, 
344,345,  347;  Parental  co- 
operation with  teachers,  337; 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  339~34i; 
Programs,  340,  341;  Pupil 
societies,  349;  Religious, 
353;  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  353; 
Rural,  345,  346;  Secret  so- 
cieties, 350;  Syracuse,  N. 


Y.,  352;  Teachers'  societies, 
349;  Topics  discussed,  339, 
341;  Washington,  D.  C., 
349,  350 

MEN'S  Civic  CLUBS.    See  Civic 
Clubs 

MERO,  EVERETT  B.,  183 

MICHIGAN:  Teacher-patrons'  as- 
sociations, 345 

MIDSUMMER  DAY,  322 
MILITARY  DRILL,  161 


411 


INDEX 


MlLLIKEN,  O.  J.,  145 

MILWAUKEE,  Wis.:  Board  of 
School  Directors,  281;  Eve- 
ning school  hours,  108;  Eve- 
ning schools,  cost  of,  48; 
Lectures,  207;  Social  centers, 
281;  Use  of  public  school 
buildings,  253;  Vacation 
schools,  establishment  of, 
137,  138 

MINISTRY,  271,  272 

MINNEAPOLIS,  MINN.:  Vacation 
schools,  establishment  of, 
138 

MONDAY  CLUB,  ERASMUS  HALL, 
BROOKLYN,  N.  Y.,  350 

MONTCLAIR,  N.  J. :  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution, 
169,  174;  Playgrounds,  167; 
Playground  beginnings,  174; 
Playground  organization, 
169 

MONTROSE,  ENGLAND,  100 

MORAL  EDUCATION  BOARD,  BAL- 
TIMORE, MD.,  208,  209 

MORRIS  HIGH  SCHOOL,  305 

MOTHERS,  NATIONAL  CONGRESS 
OF,  346, 355 

MOTHERS  AND  INFANTS,  156, 157 
MOTHERS'  CLUBS,  346 
MOTTOES  FOR  PLAYGROUNDS,  167 

MUNICH,  GERMANY,  TRADE  CON- 
TINUATION SCHOOLS:  Ap- 
prentices, 66-68;  Attend- 
ance, 67,  68,  104,  107;  Citi- 
zenship, 67,  69;  Employers, 
67;  Fees,  69;  Hours,  67,  69; 
Instruction,  66, 67, 69;  Jour- 
neymen and  masters,  68; 
Manual  labor,  67;  Prizes,  68; 
Religion,  66,  70;  Report,  78; 
Scholarship,  69;  Sundays, 
67,  69,  70;  Trade  guild  co- 


operation in  continuation 
school  attendance,  94,  95; 
Tuition,  69,  70 

MUNICIPAL   GOVERNMENT,  367, 

381 
MUNICIPAL  INFORMATION,  369 

NATIONAL  CHILD  LABOR  COM- 
MITTEE, 210 

NATIONAL  CONGRESS  OF 
MOTHERS,  346,  355 

NATIONAL  GUARD,  305,  313 
NATIONAL  RIFLE  ASSOCIATION, 

304 
NATURAL   HISTORY    LECTURES, 

212 

NEIGHBORLINESS,  273 

NEWARK,  N.  J.:  Athletics,  324, 
325,  327,  328;  Auditoriums 
in  schools,  353,  354;  Board 
of  Education,  327,  352,  370; 
Branch  Brook  Park,  163; 
Evening  recreation  centers, 
236,  237;  Evening  school  ad- 
ministration, 39;  Evening 
schools,  admission  of  pupils 
to,  43 ;  Evening  schools,  ap- 
pointment of  teachers  in,  41 ; 
Evening  schools,  civics  in, 
33;  Evening  schools,  cost 
of,  43,  44,  46,  48;  Evening 
schools,  study  classes  in,  35; 
Evening  Technical  School, 
363, 364;  Evening  Technical 
School,  earnings  of  gradu- 
ates, 36,  37;  Fawcett  Draw- 
ing School,  26,  27;  Lectures, 
199,  207,  208,  209;  Play- 
ground activities,  149-154; 
Playground  effects,  180; 
Playground  expense,  171; 
Playground  organization, 
171;  Playgrounds,  military 
drill  in,  161;  Playgrounds, 
school,  8,  9,  162,  163;  Play 


412 


INDEX 


supervision,  165;  Public 
Schools  Athletic  League, 
331  ;  Vacation  school  admin- 
istration, 130,  131;  Vacation 
schools,  cost  of,  132,  133; 
Vacation  schools,  establish- 
ment of,  134 

NEWAYGO  COUNTY,  MICH.,  345 

NEW  ENGLAND:  School  boards 
and  evening  schools,  40,  41 

NEW  JERSEY:  Urban  attendance 
at  evening  schools,  102 

NEW  JERSEY  COMMISSION  ON 
INDUSTRIAL  EDUCATION,  36, 
97,  98,  357,  358 

NEW  ORLEANS,  LA.:  Athletics, 
324;  Public  Schools  Athletic 
League,  331;  Vacation 
schools,  127 

NEW  PALTZ,  N.  Y.:  Normal 
School,  328 

NEWSPAPERS:  Gratuitous  publi- 
city obtained  through,  84, 
85 

NEWTON,  MASS.:  Bowen  School, 
238;  Evening  recreation 
center,  238;  Playground 
and  Social  Service  League, 
238 

NEW  YORK  CENTRAL  RAILWAY: 
Instruction  of  apprentices, 
etc.,  93 

NEW  YORK  CITY:  Association 
for  Improving  the  Condi- 
tion of  the  Poor,  134;  Baths. 
school,  155;  Board  of  Alder- 
men,  312;  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, xx,  134,  165,  172, 
190-206,  225,  297,  308, 
311,  312,  323,  351;  Chil- 
dren' 


to,  at  school  grounds,  157, 
158;  Docks,  271;  East 
Ninth  Street  School,  218; 


East  Third  Street  School, 
226;  Elementary  evejyjeg 
schools,  30-32;  Elementary 
Schools  Games  Committee, 
309;  Evening  high  schools, 
28,  29;  Evening  recreation 
centers,  n,  12,  217,  225^ 
Evening  schools,  516;  Eve- 
ning schools  administration, 
38,  39;  Evening  schools,  ad- 
mission of  pupils,  43;  Eve- 
ning schools,  attendance,  85, 
109,  112;  Evening  schools, 
appointment  of  teachers,  41 ; 
Evening  schools,  cost  of, 
43-46,  48;  Evening  schools, 
hours,  108;  Evening  schools, 
study  classes  in,  35;  Fourth 
of  July  free  games,  329; 
Games  Committee,  310;  He- 
brew Technical  School  for 
Girls,  144;  Jumping  records, 
294;  Lectures  on  morals, 
209;  Madison  Square  Gar- 
den, 295;  Milk  depots  in 
school  grounds,  156;  Morris 
High  School,  305 ;  National 
Guard,  313;  Normal  classes 
in  penmanship,  50;  Play  in- 
structors, 165,  1 66;  Play- 
grounds, 165,  1 66;  Play- 
ground .activities,  154,  155; 
Playground  effects,  177; 
Playground  expense,  171, 
172;  Playground ,  model , 
167;  Playground  organiza- 
tion, 171;  Playground  pro- 
gram, 158;  Playgrounds, 
roof,  162;  Public  lecture 
work,  9-11,  200-206;  Pub- 
lic library,  221;  Public 
School  No.  6,  308;  Public 
School  No.  22,  dances  and 
games  for  girls,  315-321; 
Public  School  No.  30,  308; 
Public  School  No.  40,  344; 
Public  School  No.  77,  308; 
Public  School  No.  172,  230; 
Public  School  No.  188,  226, 


4'3 


INDEX 


230;  Public  School  Athletic 
League,  294-313;  School 
of  Philanthropy,  210;  Sec- 
ondary Schools  Games 
Committee,  310;  Stuyve- 
sant  High  School,  19; 
Teachers  College,  167; 
Twelfth  Regiment  Armory, 
227;  Vacation  school  ad- 
ministration, 129;  Vacation 
schools,  6,  7,  127;  Vacation' 
schools,  cost  of,  132,  133; 
Vacation  schools,  East  Side, 
117-121;  Vacation  schools, 
establishment  of,  134;  Vaca- 
tion schools,  excursions,  127; 
Vacation  teachers,  salaries 
of,  131;  Washington  Irving 
High  School,  322.  See  also 
Evening  Recreation  Centers; 
Public  Schools  Athletic 
League 

NEW  YORK  (STATE):  Commis- 
sion on  immigration,  50; 
Law  on  compulsory  attend- 
ance in  evening  schools,  100, 
101 ;  Law  of  1908  for  indus- 
trial and  trade  schools,  97; 
Probation  commission,  343; 
Urban  attendance  at  eve- 
ning schools,  102 

NICHOLS,  E.  H.,  331 

NIGHT  SCHOOLS.  See  Evening 
Schools 

NORTH  AMERICAN  Civic  LEAGUE 
FOR  IMMIGRANTS,  14 

NORTHERN  COUNTIES  WEAVERS' 
ASSOCIATION,  ENG.,  94 

NORTHWICH,  ENG.:  Employers' 
co-operation  in  evening 
school  attendance,  91 

NOTTINGHAM,  ENGLAND:  Bath 
Street  School,  55-57;  Choral 
Union,  64;  Continuation 
school,  57-59;  Evening 
school  administration,  63 ; 


Evening  school  attend- 
ance, 86,  107;  Evening 
school  attractions,  87,  88; 
Municipal  School  of  Art,  59 
60;  Music,  64;  People's  Col- 
lege, 59-61;  Prizes,  62,  63; 
Rental  of  school  houses,  353 ; 
Reports  of  Education  Com- 
mittee, 78;  Scholarship,  62; 
Swimming,  63 ;  Teachers,  63 ; 
University  College,  59,  60 

NURSES,  156,  157 

OAKLAND,  CAL.:  Extension  of 
school  instruction,  143 

OCEANA  COUNTY,  MICH.,  345 
OPEN-AIR  CLASSES,  373 
ORANGE,  N.  J.    See  East  Orange 

OUTINGS  IN  VACATION  SCHOOLS 
126,  127 

PADDINGTON,  LONDON,  ENG.,  244 
PAGE,  CURTIS  HIDDEN,  10 

PARENTS:  Co-operation  with 
teachers,  337;  In  the  school 
house,  14,  15 

PARENT-TEACHERS'  ASSOCIA- 
TIONS,  270;  Value,  346,  347 

PARIS,  FRANCE,  EVENING 
SCHOOLS,  73-78;  Associa- 
tions for  promoting  popular 
education,  77,  78;  Classes  in, 
73;  Courses,  75;  For  ap- 
prentices, 76;  Hours,  75; 
Instructors,  75;  Subjects, 
73-7  5 ;  Sunday  instruction , 
76;  Technical  instruction, 
76;  Tuition,  75 

PASSAIC,  N.  J. :  Playground  dis- 
cipline, 1 68 

PASSMORE  EDWARDS  SETTLE- 
MENT, 243 

PATON,  REV.  J.  B.,  88 


414 


INDEX 


PAUL,  FRANCIS  H.  J.,  308 
PAUL,  HARRY  G.,  10 
PAULDING,  J.  K.,  288 

PEASANT  DANCES.  See  Folk- 
dances 

PEDAGOGICAL  LECTURES,  195, 
196,  197 

PEDAGOGY,  SOCIETY  OF,  349 

PENNSYLVANIA:  State  law  on 
admission  of  pupils  to  eve- 
ning schools,  43 

PENSACOLA,  FLA.:  Folk-dancing, 
329;  Playground  expense, 
171;  Recess  period,  179; 
School  Improvement  Asso- 
ciation, 348;  School  No.  i, 
348 

PEOPLE'S  COLLEGE,  NOTTING- 
HAM, ENG.,  59-61 

PERXOVITZ,  MR.,  223 

PHILADELPHIA,  PA.:  Board  of 
Education,  276,  339,  351; 
City  Parks  Association,  174; 
Civic  Club,  174;  D.  A.  R., 
341;  Dunlap  Home  and 
School  Association, 339; 
Elementary  evening  schools, 
31;  Evening  schools,  admis- 
sion of  pupils,  43;  Evening 
schools,  teachers  in,  42,  xn, 
112;  League  of  Home  and 
School  Associations,  14,  276, 
277,  279,  280,  288,  338,  339, 
340,  341,  3ss ;  Home  and 
School  League's  Committee 
on  Further  Use  of  School 
Buildings,  279;  Lectures  ar- 
ranged by  League  of  Home 
and  School  Associations, 
198;  Playground  Associa- 
tion, 175;  Playground  be- 
ginnings, 174;  Public  Edu- 
cation Association,  341 ;  So- 
cial centers,  276 


PHILANTHROPY,  NEW  YORK 
SCHOOL  OF,  210 

PHYSICAL  TRAINING:  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  34,  87;  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  266.  See  Athletics, 
etc. 

PHYSICS  IN  THE  STUYVESANT 
HIGH  SCHOOL  (EVENING),  21 

PITTSBURGH,  PA.:  Athletics,  326; 
Central  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, 137,  169;  Civic  Club, 
135;  Evening  high  schools, 
28,81,82,98,110;  Evening 
recreation  centers,  238,  239; 
Oakland  District  School, 
238,  239;  Playground  Asso- 
ciation, 137,  139,  140,  145, 
166,  169,  281;  Playground 
bean  bags,  165;  Playground 
beginnings,  I35~i37,  *74; 
Playground  program,  161; 
Public  School  Boys'  Athletic 
!  League,  328;  University 

and  vacation  teachers,  131; 
Vacation  schools,  126,  127, 
128;  Vacation  schools,  cost 
of,  132;  Vacation  schools, 
introduction  of,  135-137; 
Vacation  school  teachers, 
131;  Women's  clubs,  136 

PLAY,  128,  135,  136,  139,  140, 
165;  Educational  effect,  178; 
Lack  of  room  for,  in  cities, 
374.  375-  See  also  Evening 
Recreation  Centers;  Play- 
grounds 

PLAY  CENTERS  IN  LONDON,  239- 
244.  See  Evening  Recrea- 
tion Centers  in  London 

PLAYGROUND  ASSOCIATION  OF 
AMERICA,  233,  331 

PLAYGROUND  ASSOCIATION, 
PITTSBURGH,  PA.,  128 

PLAYGROUND  EXTENSION  COM- 
MITTEE, 330 


INDEX 


PLAYGROUNDS,  SCHOOL:  Admin- 
istration, 165-168;  Ameri- 
canizing influence,  176,  177; 
Apparatus,  163-165;  Ath- 
letics for  girls,  159;  Auburn, 
N.  Y.,  1 68;  Auspices,  172- 
174;  Authorities,  183;  Ba- 
bies, 156,  157,  178;  Balti- 
more, Md.,  1 66,  169;  Baths, 
165;  Beginnings,  172-174; 
Benefits,  175-183;  Boston, 
Mass.,  159,  170,  171;  Buf- 
falo, N.  Y.,  159,  162,  165, 

166,  179,     181;     Buttons, 

167,  168;     Cambridge, 
Mass.,  160,  178;    Chicago, 
111.,    175,    177,    180,    181; 
Cincinnati,    0.,    163,    176; 
Cleveland,  O.,  157, 159, 161, 

163,  171;   Cost,   171,   172; 
Detroit,     172;     Discipline, 
167,  181;    Dramatics,   159; 
East    Orange,    N.  J.,  164; 
Effects,    175-183;     Exhibi- 
tions, 162,  163;  Foreigners, 
176,  177;    Harrisburg,  Pa., 
174;   Hours,    162;    Indian- 
apolis, Ind.,  170;  Juvenile 
courts,  175,  176,  180;  Kan- 
sas City,  Mo.,  176;  Lexing- 
ton, Mass.,  174;    Libraries, 
traveling,  1 60;  Location,  181 ; 
Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  161,  163, 

164,  169,    170,    174,    180; 
Madison,  N.  J.,  169;  Mont- 
clair,  N.  J.,  167,  169,  174; 
Mothers   and   babies,    156, 
157;    Newark,  N.  J.,  8,  9, 
149-154,  161,  162-163,  165, 
171,      180;       New     York 
City,  154-158, 162, 163, 165, 
166,    167,    171,    172,    177; 
Organization,  168-171;  Pas- 
saic,    N.   J.,    1 68;    Pensa- 
cola,  Fla.,  171,  179;   Phila- 
delphia,    Pa.,     174,     175; 
Pittsburgh,   Pa.,   161,   165, 
166,     169,     173;      Popular 
demand,   182;    Providence, 


R.  I.,  160,  161,  170,  172; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  162,  167, 
174, 176, 180;  Scranton,  Pa., 
164;  Seattle,  Wash.,  162; 
Somerville,  Mass.,  174; 
Spirit,  177;  Story-telling, 
158;  Success,  165;  Supervi- 
sion of  play,  165;  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  170;  Teachers,  165- 
167;  Term,  162; Usefulness, 
radius  of,  181,  374;  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.,  176,  180; 
White  Wings,  155;  Women's 
help,  165,  169,  172-174 

POLAND,  ADDISON  B.,  46,  48; 
Quoted  on  compulsory  at- 
tendance at  evening  schools, 
103;  On  school  assembly 
halls,  353;  On  the  school 
house  for  lectures,  369,  370 

POLICE,  SCHOOL,  306 
POLITICAL  MEETING-PLACES,  368 

POLITICAL  USE  OF  SCHOOL 
BUILDINGS,  274;  In  England, 
353 

POLITICS,  193 

PORTLAND,  ME.  :  Evening  recrea- 
tion centers,  238;  Frater- 
nity House,  238 

POSEN,  GERMANY,  78 
POTATO  RELAY  RACE,  317,  318 
PRACTICAL  INSTRUCTION,  98-100 

PRACTICAL  LIFE,  SCHOOL  TRAIN- 
ING FOR,  376,  377 
PREACHING,  272 
PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH,  271 
PRIMARIES,  DIRECT,  368 
PRINCETON  PLEASURE  CLUB,  223 
PRIZE  GAMES  FOR  GIRLS,  323 

PRIZES,  226,  227;  For  attendance, 
107,  108 


416 


INDEX 


PROBATION  COMMISSION,  N.  Y., 

343,  344 

PROBATION  WORK,  344 
PROCTOR,  MARY,  10 
PROSPECT  PARK,  BROOKLYN,  322 

PROVIDENCE,  R.  I.:  Evening 
high  schools,  28;  Evening 
schools,  cost  of,  43-45; 
Playground  organization, 
170;  Playground  program, 
1  60,  161;  Playground  sala- 
ries, 172;  Vacation  schools, 
134 

PUBLIC  LECTURES  AND  ENTER- 
TAINMENTS IN  NEW  YORK 
CITY,  o-n,  200-206.  See 
Lectures,  etc. 

PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  ATHLETIC 
LEAGUE,  N.  Y.  CITY:  Ad- 
ministration, 308,  309; 
Badges,  296-298,  312;  Board 
of  Aldermen,  313;  Board  of 
Education,  312,  313;  Cham- 
pionship meetings,  301-306; 
Class  athletics,  291-294,  296, 
298-300;  Co-operation  of 
school  officials,  310;  Court- 
esy, 307*,  Ethical  acts,  308; 
Games  and  events,  301,  302; 
Games  committees,  309, 
310;  Gentlemanly  behavior, 
306,  307;  Handbook,  306, 
307;  Ideals,  307,  308;  Mem- 
berships, 296;  Objects,  295; 
Origin,  294,  295;  School 
boards,  306;  School  police, 
306;  Schooling,  304,  305; 
Spread  of  the  idea,  326,328, 
29,33i;  Sub-leagues,  309; 
ear  book,  304.  See  also 
Girls'  Branch  Public  Schools 
Athletic  League 

PUBLIC  SCHOOL  TEACHERS,  FED- 
ERATION OF,  349 

PUBLICITY  FOR  EVENING 
SCHOOLS,  81-85 


32 
Y 


PUEBLO,   COL.:    Social  centers, 

283 
PULLING-UP    EXERCISES.       See 

Chinning 

PUPIL  SOCIETIES,  349-351 


QUINCY,  MASS.:  School  Master's 
Club,  348 


RACE  AMALGAMATION,  370,  371 
RACE  BARRIERS,  262 

RACE  ELEMENTS  IN  NEW  YORK 
CITY,  204,  205 

RACE  PREJUDICE,  177 

RAILWAY  COMPANIES  IN  ENG- 
LAND: Instruction  for  em- 
ployes, 92 

RAILWAY  COMPANIES  IN  THE 
UNITED  STATES:  Co-opera- 
tion in  evening  school  at- 
tendance, 93 

"REAP  THE  FLAX"  DANCE,  314 
RECESS  PERIOD,  179 
RECIPE  EXCHANGE,  261 

RECREATION  CENTERS.  See 
Evening  Recreation  Centers 

RECREATION,  EVENING  SCHOOL, 
87,88 

RECREATIVE  EVENING  SCHOOLS 
ASSOCIATION,  ENGLAND,  88 

RED  SCHOOL  HOUSE,  284 

REFERENCE  BOOKS.  See  Au- 
thorities under  titles  and  at 
close  of  each  chapter 

RELAY  RACES  FOR  GIRLS,  316 

RELIGIOUS  INSTRUCTION  IN 
MUNICH  TRADE  SCHOOLS, 
66.  70  * 


4'7 


INDEX 


RELIGIOUS  USE  OF  SCHOOL 
BUILDINGS,  274,  353 

RENTING  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS,  353 
RHEES,  PRES.  RUSH,  256 
RIFLES,  304 

"ROBERT  ELSMERE,"  242 
ROBERTS,  I.  P.,  285 

ROCHESTER,  N.  Y.:  Aldermen, 
258;  Art  Club,  265;  Art 
exhibition,  265,  266;  Arts 
and  Crafts  Club,  265;  Baden 
St.,  253;  Board  of  Educa- 
tion, 12,  257,  262,  270,  271, 
273,  274,  275,  353;  Central 
Trades  and  Labor  Council, 
270;  Chamber  of  Commerce, 
264;  Children's  Playground 
League,  270;  Civic  Club  of 
School  No.  14,  258-260; 
Civic  Clubs,  257-265;  Col- 
lege Women's  Club,  270; 
Coming  Civic  Club  of  School 
No.  9,  253;  Coming  Civic 
Clubs,  262;  Common  Coun- 
cil, 258;  Convention  Hall, 
265;  Daughters  of  the 
American  Revolution,  270; 
"  Do  It  For  Rochester,"  250, 
288;  East  High  School,  254; 
Free  speech  in  school  build- 
ings, 274-276;  Future  Civic 
Clubs,  262;  General  eve- 
nings, 256,  257,  269;  Gym- 
nastics, 266;  Humane  So- 
ciety, 270;  Italians,  260, 
261;  Joseph  St.,  249;  Labor 
Lyceum,  270;  League  of 
Civic  Clubs,  264,  288;  Lec- 
tures and  entertainments, 
199;  Libraries,  266,  267; 
Local  Council  of  Women, 
270;  Men's  Civic  Club  of 
School  No.  9,  253;  Men's 
Civic  Club  of  School  No. 
14,  254;  Municipal  Build- 
ing, 264;  Officers'  Associa- 
tion of  Mothers'  Clubs,  270; 


Playground  beginnings,  174; 
Playground  discipline,  167; 
Playground  effects,  176, 180; 
Playground  League,  138; 
Playgrounds,  162;  Politi- 
cal Equality  Club,  270; 
Recipe  exchange,  261; 
School  Extension  Commit- 
tee, 270,  271;  School  No.  9, 
249-256,  257,  268,  269; 
School  No.  14,  254,  257,  258, 
267,  268,  269;  School  No. 
36,  254;  Social  center  at- 
tendance, 256;  Social  Cen- 
ter No.  9,  371,  372;  Social 
center  movement,  origin  of, 
270-272;  Social  centers,  12, 
13,  249-276;  Social  center 
topics  and  speakers,  256;  So- 
cial centers,  supervisor  of, 
271-273;  Social  Settlement 
Association,  270;  Spontane- 
ous Art  Club,  265;  Street  car 
company,  co-operation  of, 
266;  Supervisor  of  social 
centers,  264,  267;  Sym- 
phony orchestra,  265;  Uni- 
versity, 269;  Use  of  school 
buildings,  policy  in,  274- 
276;  Vacation  schools,  127; 
Vacation  schools,  establish- 
ment of,  138;  West  High 
School,  257,  262,  268,  269; 
Women's  Civic  Club  of 
School  No.  9,  252,  254; 
Women's  Civic  Club  of 
School  No.  14,  259,  261, 
262;  Women's  Club,  265; 
Women's  Educational  and 
Industrial  Union,  138,  270; 
Young  Woman's  Civic  Club 
of  School  No.  9,  25,  31 

ROOSEVELT  CLUB,  222 
ROOSEVELT,  THEODORE,  297 
ROVERSI,  LUIGI,  205 
ROYAL  LIFE-SAVING  SOCIETY,  63 
RUMBALL,  REV.  EDWIN  A.,  256 


418 


INDEX 


RUNNING  CLASS,  299 
RURAL  ATHLETICS,  327,  328 
RURAL  LIFE,  284,  285 

RUSKIN  COLLEGE,  OXFORD, 
ENG.,  95 

RUSSELL  SAGE  FOUNDATION,  16, 

33i 

RUSSIAN  DANCE,  317 
RYNEARSON,  EDWARD,  82,  83 

SADLER,  M.  EM  55,  78,  90,  92, 
94;  Quoted,  86;  Quoted  on 
compulsory  attendance  at 
continuation  schools  in 
England,  103,  104 

ST.  HELENS,  ENG.,  78 

ST.  Louis,  Mo.:  Board  of  Edu- 
cation, 238;  Evening  recre- 
ation centers,  238;  Evening 
school,  admission  to,  43; 
Evening  schools,  cost  of,  43, 
47,  48;  Evening  school 
term,  50;  Public  Library, 
238;  Vacation  schools,  122- 
124,  126;  Vacation  school 
administration,  129,  130; 
Vacation  schools,  cost  of, 
X32>  I33>  Vacation  schools, 
results,  141;  Vacation  school 
teachers'  salaries,  131 

ST.  PAUL,  MINN.:  Board  of 
Education,  138,  139;  Insti- 
tute of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
138;  Lectures  of  the  Insti- 
tute of  Arts  and  Sciences, 
198;  Vacation  schools,  es- 
tablishment of,  138,  139 

SALARIES  OF  TEACHERS  IN  EVE- 
NING SCHOOLS,  48;  At  recre- 
ation centers  in  N.  Y.  City, 
236;  Of  social  center  staff, 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  268,  269; 
Of  vacation  school  teachers, 


SANITATION,  273 

SARANAC  ATHLETIC  CLUB,  222 

SATURDAY  NIGHT  USE  OF 
SCHOOLS,  249,  250,  287 

SCANDINAVIAN  DANCES,  156,  314 

SCHENECTADY,  N.  Y.:  Athletics, 
326,327 

SCHOOL  BANDS,  306 
SCHOOL  GARDENS,  15,  1 6 

SCHOOL  HOUSE,  WIDER  USE  OF. 
See  School  Plant 

SCHOOL  IMPROVEMENT  ASSOCIA- 
TIONS, 348,  349 

SCHOOL  OF  PHILANTHROPY,  210 

SCHOOL  PLANT,  WIDER  USE  OF: 
Athletics,  13;  Authorities, 
16;  Change  in  the  last  20 
years,  3,  4;  Dancing,  14; 
Development  of,  378;  In 
the  eighties,  3;  Evening 
recreation  centers,  n,  12; 
Evening  schools,  4-6;  Folk- 
dancing,  13,  14;  Games,  13, 
14;  Meetings,  14;  Parents, 
14;  Playgrounds,  7-9;  Polit- 
ical use,  274,  368;  Pub- 
lic lectures  and  entertain- 
ments, 9-11;  Purpose,  274; 
Religious  use,  274;  Rental, 
353;  Social  betterment, 
3S9-38o;  Social  centers,  12, 
13;  Use,  actual  and  pos- 
sible, 378;  Vacation  schools, 
6,  7.  See  also  Evening 
Recreation  Centers;  Evening 
Schools;  Meetings;  Play- 
grounds; Lectures  and  Enter- 
tainments; Social  Centers; 
Vacation  Schools 

SCHOOL  PLAYGROUNDS.  See 
Playgrounds 

SCHOOL  POLICE  IN  ATHLETIC 
GAMES,  306 


419 


INDEX 


SCIENCE,  FREE  LECTURES  ON, 
202 

SCOTTISH  CHRISTIAN  SOCIAL 
UNION,  286,  289 

SCRANTON,  PA.  :  Playground  ap- 
paratus, 164 

SCUDDER,  H.  E.,  288 
SCUDDER,  MYRON  T.,  328,  331 

SEATTLE,  WASH.  :  Athletics,  326; 
Hours  for  playgrounds,  162; 
Public  Schools  Athletic 
League,  331;  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
326 

SENATE  (SCHOOL  SOCIETY),  349 
SEWING  IN  SCHOOLS,  376,  377 
SHOOTING,  304,  305 
SHOTWELL,  PROF.,  202 
SHUTTLE  RELAY  RACE,  316,  317 
SITES  FOR  SCHOOL  HOUSES,  182 
SLAVIC  DANCES,  156 
SNEDDEN,  DAVID,  51,  145 

SOCIAL  BETTERMENT  THROUGH 
WIDER  USE  OF  SCHOOL 
PROPERTY,  359-380;  Chart, 
381 

SOCIAL  CENTERS:  Administra- 
tion, 268,  269;  Art  clubs, 
265,  266;  Assembly  halls, 
267,  268;  Authorities,  288; 
Benefit,  252,  254;  Boston, 
Mass.,  283,  284;  Bureau  of 
information,  266;  Central 
idea,  272-276;  Chicago,  111., 
284;  Cincinnati,  O.,  283; 
Civic  clubs,  257-265;  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  253;  Colum- 
bus, Ohio,  282,  283;  Cost 
of  maintenance,  268-270; 
Country  districts,  284,  285; 
Definition,  246;  England, 
285-288;  Equipment,  267, 
268;  Gymnastics,  266,  267; 


Holyoke,  Mass.,  283;  Libra- 
ries, 266,  267;  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  281;  Origin  of  the 
movement  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  270-272;  Philadel- 

Chia,  Pa.,  276-280;  Pitts- 
urgh,  Pa.,  281,  282;  Policy, 
274,  275;  Pueblo,  Col.,  283; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  249-276; 
Salaries,  268,  269;  School 
children,  275;  Scotland, 
286;  Songs,  250,  251,  280; 
Speakers,  256;  Topics,  256, 
259 

SOCIAL  INSTITUTES  UNION,  ENG- 
LAND, 285-288 

SOCIAL  PROBLEM  LECTURES,  212 

SOCIETE  D'ENSEIGNEMENT  Mo- 
DERNE,  77 

SOCIET^  NATIONALS  POUR  LA 
PROPAGATION  DES  LANGUES 
ETRANGERES,  77 

SOCIETY:  Changes  in  the  last  two 
centuries,  360-362;  Strati- 
fication of,  365;  Vertical 
cleavage  of,  366,  381 

SOCIETY  OF  PEDAGOGY,  349 
SOLDIER  OF  MARATHON,  297 

SOMERVILLE,  MASS.  :  Playground 
beginnings,  174 

SONGS,  SOCIAL  CENTER,  250,  251, 
280 

SPEAKERS:  Cost,  269 

SPECIALIZATION    OF    INDUSTRY, 

359,  360,  381 
SPORTSMEN'S  SHOW  IN  1909,  304 

SPRINGFIELD,  MASS.:  Evening 
School  of  Trades,  25,  26, 
42,  46,  93,  363,  364;  Eve- 
ning schools,  cost  of,  43,44, 
46;  Master  Plumbers'  As- 
sociation, 93;  Mechanic 
Arts  High  School,  25; 


420 


INDEX 


Playground  Association, 
354;  Teachers  in  evening 
schools,  42;  Value  of  school 
buildings  and  use,  354 

STATE  INSTRUCTION  FOR  IMMI- 
GRANTS, 50 

STEPNEY,  LONDON,  ENG.,  244 
STITT,  EDWARD  W.,  231 
STREET  BOYS,  263,  264 

STUDY  CLASSES  IN  EVENING 
SCHOOLS,  35 

STUYVESANT  HIGH  SCHOOL,  N.Y., 

19 
SULLIVAN,  JAMES  E.,  294,  310 

SUMMER  SCHOOLS.  See  Vaca- 
tion Schools 

SUNDAY  INSTRUCTION  IN  FRANCE, 

75,  76 
SUNDAY    SERVICES    IN    SCHOOL 

HOUSES,  345 

SUNDAY  TEACHING  IN  GERMANY, 
69,  70,  72 

Sunday  World  GAMES,  301 
SWIMMING,  159 

SWITZERLAND:  Trade  unions  and 
government  co-operation  in 
instruction  of  journeymen, 
94 

SYRACUSE,  N.  Y.:  Evening  rec- 
reation centers,  238;  Feder- 
ated Improvement  Associa- 
tions, 348;  Improvement 
associations,  352;  Play- 
ground organization,  170; 
Solvay  Guild,  170 


TACOMA,  WASH.:  Athletics,  327 

TALKS  FOR  SCHOOL  CHILDREN, 
208,  209 

TARANTELLA,  153,  315 


TEACHER-PATRONS'       ASSOCIA- 
TIONS, 345 

TEACHERS:  Co-operation  in  ath- 
letics, 311,  312;  In  evening 
schools,  41,  42,  in,  112; 
Lectures  for,  194,  195,  196, 
197;  Salaries  in  evening 
schools,  48;  Salaries  in  va- 
cation schools,  131 

TECHNICAL  HIGH  SCHOOLS,  362 
The  Times,  LONDON,  243,  246 

TOMPKINS  SQUARE  PARK,  N.  Y., 

217 
TOPICS  OF  LECTURES,  190,  193 

"TOUGHS,"  263,  264;  Reform- 
ing, 234,  235 

TOWN  MEETING,  367 

TRADE  CONTINUATION  SCHOOLS 
IN  MUNICH,  66-70 

TRADE  ORGANIZATIONS:  Co- 
operation in  evening  school 
attendance,  93-98 

TRADE  SCHOOLS,  EVENING,  5,  6, 
363,  364;  New  York,  19-25 

TRADES,  MEN  AND  BOYS  WITH- 
OUT, 359 

TRAVELERS'  CLUB,  N.  Y.  CITY, 

230 
TRAVELING  LIBRARIES,  220,  221; 

Rochester,  N.  Y.,  267 

TREBLE  CLEF  CHORUS,  349 

TRENTON,  N.  J.:  Methods  of 
promoting  attendance  at 
evening  schools,  85 

TROPHIES,  ATHLETIC,  294,  296- 
298,  300 

TROY,  N.  Y.:    Athletics,  324, 
.     325;  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  326 

TUBERCULOSIS,  193,  373 

TUTHILL,  Miss,  ROCHESTER, 
N.  Y.,  256 


421 


INDEX 


ULSTER  COUNTY,  N.  ¥.,328 

UNEMPLOYED,  PROBLEM  OF,  359- 
362,  381 

UNION  FRANCAISE  DE  LA  JEU- 

NESSE,  77 

UNITED  STATES  DEPARTMENT  or 
AGRICULTURE,  210,  211 

URBANIZATION  OF  POPULATION, 


VACATION  SCHOOLS:    Activities, 

121,  122;    Administration, 
129-132;    Authorities,  145; 
Boston,    Mass.,    127,    130, 
131,  134;   Brockton,  Mass., 
139;    Buffalo,  N.  Y.,   124, 
132, 141;  Cambridge,  Mass., 

122,  132,  133;  Chicago,  111., 
126,  134,  130,  131,  132,  135, 
142,  143;   Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
124,  126,  129,  130,  131,  132, 
139,  142;    Cleveland,  Ohio, 
124-126,  129,  130,  133,  _i37, 
141 ;  Cost,  1 23 ;  Des  Moines, 
la.,    132;    Earliest  in  this 
country,  134;   Extension  of 
regular  school   work,    143- 
145;    First  Church  of  Bos- 
ton, 134;  Games,  123;  Hav- 
erhill,  Mass.,  126,  127,  132, 
133;  Historical   excursions, 
127;     Historical     exhibits, 
127;     Hours,  129;    House- 
keeping   course,    123,    124; 
Hygienic  value,  374;     Indi- 
anapolis, Ind.,  139;  Johns- 
town,   Pa.,    138;     Kinder- 
gartens, 122,  123;  Medford, 
Mass.,     138;      Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  137, 138;  Minneapolis, 
Minn.,  138;  Newark,  N.  J., 
130-134;  New  Orleans,  La., 
127;   New  York  City,  6,  7, 
117-121,  127,  129-134;   Or- 
der, 128,  129;  Outings,  126; 
Pittsburgh,    Pa.,    126-128, 
131,    132,    135-137;     Play, 


128;  Providence,  R.  I.,  134; 
Public  library  co-operation, 
126;  Results,  139-145; 
Rochester,  N.  Y.,  127,  138; 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  122-124, 
129,  130,  131,  132,  133,  141; 
St.  Paul,  Minn.,  138;  Ses- 
sion, 129;  Starting,  134-139; 
Success,  143;  Teachers,  129, 
130, 131;  Teachers'  salaries, 
131;  Worcester,  Mass.,  13911 

VAN  CORTLANDT  PARK,  321 

VAN  LAER,  ALEXANDER  J.,  10 

VERDIN     TECHNICAL     SCHOOL, 
ENG.,  91 

VIRGINIA  STATE  BOARD  OF  EDU- 
CATION, 182 

VOLLEY  BALL,  330 
VOTERS'  NEED  OF  KNOWLEDGE, 
367,  368 


WARD,  EDWARD  J.,  271,  273,  288 

WARD,  MRS.  HUMPHRY,  240,  242, 
243,  246;  Quoted  on  play 
centers,  233,  234 

WASHINGTON,  GEORGE,  261 

WASHINGTON  (STATE)  SCHOOL 
HOUSE  LOTS,  182 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C.:  Central 
High  School,  349;  Play- 
ground effects,  176,  180 

WASHINGTON  IRVING  HIGH 
SCHOOL,  322 

WEIGHING  ATHLETES,  302,  303 

WESTERN  RESERVE  CHAPTER, 
D.  A.  R.,  188 

WESTERN  RESERVE  UNIVERSITY, 

190 
WHITECHAPEL,  LONDON,   ENG., 

244 

WHITE  WINGS  BRIGADES,  155 


422 


INDEX 


WHITNEY,  EVANGELINE  E.,  145, 
227,  228,  234,  246 

WHITTIER,  JOHN  G.,  127 
\VUITTIER  SOCIETY,  223 

WIDER  USE,  SOCIAL  BETTER- 
MENT THROUGH,  359-380; 

Chart,  381 

WIDNES,  ENG.,  78;  Employers' 
co-operation  in  evening 
school  attendance,  90,  91 

WINCHESTER,  MASS.:  Handi- 
craft Society,  348;  High 
School,  348;  Orchestral  So- 
ciety, 348 

WINGATE,  GEN.  GEORGE  W., 
3°4»  305 

WlNGATES,  THE,  221 

WINNINGTON  PARK  SCHOOLS, 
ENG.,  91 

WINTHROP  TROPHY,  297 

WISCONSIN:  Social  centers,  272; 
University  of,  272 

WOMEN  AND  WOMEN'S  CLUBS: 
Aid  in  wider  use,  169,  188, 
189,  190,  191-194,  196; 
Brockton,  Mass.,  140;  Buf- 


falo, N.  Y.,  174;  Chicago, 
111.,  135;  Cincinnati,  O., 
139;  Cleveland,  O.,  137; 
Detroit,  Mich,  172,  173; 
Harrisburg,  Pa.,  174;  Lex- 
ington, Mass.,  174;  Med- 
ford,  Mass.,  138;  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  137,  138;  Montclair, 
N.  J.,  174;  Philadelphia,  Pa., 
174;  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  135- 
137,  165,  173 

WOMEN'S  Civic  CLUBS,  261 

WORCESTER,  MASS.  :  Evening 
drawing  school,  27;  Vaca- 
tion schools,  139 

WORKERS'  EDUCATIONAL  ASSO- 
CIATION, ENG.,  95 

WYCKOFF  HEIGHTS  TAXPAYERS' 
ASSOCIATION,  348,  351 


YOUNG  AMERICA  CLUB,  222 

ZUEBLIN,  CHARLES,  259 

ZITTAU,GERMANY  :  Trade  schools, 
72 


423 


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WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 
OVERDUE. 


APR    30  1934 


AUG 


1 


_^H- 


LD  21-100m-7,'33 


YB  05449 


i. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


